***Official*** India in South Africa 2017/18

[SeamUp]

He's awesome no doubt. But in the Test format I'd say Steyn, Kallis, Smith and Amla were all more important to SA's overseas successes during that period than AB was don't you think?

His range is utterly insane though. Other batsmen can smash 35 ball tons. Some can deadbat all day to save a test match. AB somehow has both those abilities.

I guess it is all subjectful. But his big 170 at Headingley, double hundred at Ahmedabad, twin WACA hundreds (one 150+), twin UAE (one 278) were also big parts to play.

Besides the fact that he averaged more than anybody in an 8-year period plus one of the best overseas batsman in Asia in the last 30 years - to me that is massive. Liked that stat in a time where adaptability seems most difficult : Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

Also just thinking back at some of his slip catches in our first win in Australia. They were absolutely ridiculous.

 

[Bahseph]

@marc71178 and weldone. I understand the apprehension guys. I just feel like this is the way the team composition is going to go since Gibson took over. I think he prefers Morris as his 7 but Morkel being in the form of his life and Steyn being back might see Philander get the gig. Oh to have an allrounder like Stokes haha

 

[Bahseph]

I've said it before , AB being unbelievable in ODIs means we tend to under value him in Tests. I hope his next run in Tests reminds us how good he can be.

 

[Spark]

I know what you mean about AB but also find it not right he doesn't get the respect for the adaptability and class of his batting game for test cricket. He was massive on our 10,11 year unbeatean away streak. This wasn't just a few years but a decade.



Numbers Game: The complete batsman | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

I mean it's definitely the case that you can be pigeonholed and too much attention based on, to me, very exciting and spectacular minnow-bashing knocks whilst his innings against Johnson hardly get spoken about (or indeed his deadbatting). But they're outnumbered by people who think he's the standout batsman of the era, which is crazy to me when you consider the names OS brought up from SA alone.

 

[SeamUp]

I don't think the trade off of having the 4 quicks and a spinner is worth having a relatively long tail. Philander at 7 is weak, he's a much lesser batsman then pretty much any other regular Test number 7. Personally I think he would be classed as an "average" number 8, not even one of the best there so putting him at 7 completely negates what you get from playing 5 front line bowlers.

It certainly is a question mark but I certainly don't think he can''t pull it off. First time he was asked to do it in England recently he responded with runs.

 

[SeamUp]

I mean it's definitely the case that you can be pigeonholed and too much attention based on, to me, very exciting and spectacular minnow-bashing knocks whilst his innings against Johnson hardly get spoken about (or indeed his deadbatting). But they're outnumbered by people who think he's the standout batsman of the era, which is crazy to me when you consider the names OS brought up from SA alone.

Spot on. That is why I understand what you were saying and where he is so box office it seems to override his test performances.

To me & I hope to many watching him bat in limited overs cricket and test cricket there aren't many changes bar the real crazy shots. Just all-round an exciting batsman to watch really whatever the format.

Edit : I was watching a few of his one-on-one interviews recently and he always feels that once he got his game compact and learnt that defending a cricket ball under the eyes is just as enjoyable it turned his test batting around. To survive in SA I just think batsman can't be too lose no matter the talent.

 

[Spark]

Spot on. That is why I understand what you were saying and where he is so box office it seems to override his test performances.

To me & I hope too many watching him bat in limited overs cricket and test cricket there aren't many changes bar the real crazy shots. Just all-round an exciting batsman to watch really whatever the format.

Yeah indeed. Still, I've seen quite a few people saying he's top 10 of all time in Tests and I'm just like, are you mad?!

 

[Bahseph]

Yeah indeed. Still, I've seen quite a few people saying he's top 10 of all time in Tests and I'm just like, are you mad?!

In Tests alone that's crazy. He just hasn't put up the numbers that would make him top 10 of all time. Even SA fans know that. I still rate Amla slightly above him in Tests.

 

[Stefan9]

@marc71178 and weldone. I understand the apprehension guys. I just feel like this is the way the team composition is going to go since Gibson took over. I think he prefers Morris as his 7 but Morkel being in the form of his life and Steyn being back might see Philander get the gig. Oh to have an allrounder like Stokes haha

I would rather have a kallis or pollock...

 

[SeamUp]

Yeah indeed. Still, I've seen quite a few people saying he's top 10 of all time in Tests and I'm just like, are you mad?!

In Tests alone that's crazy. He just hasn't put up the numbers that would make him top 10 of all time. Even SA fans know that. I still rate Amla slightly above him in Tests.

Agree lads.

Lots to do for a statement like that.

Just think if he has a monstrous 2 years to add to what he has done through his career considering the keeping he had to do with a sore back anything is possible.

I certainly think it will be a great to get a stage to where we can say AB and Amla can challenge our previous batting greats by the time their career is done.

Overall is just so 'subjective' as there has been too many greats for too many teams over many era's.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Spot on. That is why I understand what you were saying and where he is so box office it seems to override his test performances.

To me & I hope to many watching him bat in limited overs cricket and test cricket there aren't many changes bar the real crazy shots. Just all-round an exciting batsman to watch really whatever the format.

Edit : I was watching a few of his one-on-one interviews recently and he always feels that once he got his game compact and learnt that defending a cricket ball under the eyes is just as enjoyable it turned his test batting around. To survive in SA I just think batsman can be too lose no matter the talent.

Yeah there's a good video of him describing that soft hand front foot block of his. Pretty unique how he plays it with such an angled bat. Probably one of the most oddly aesthetically pleasing shots in cricket.

 

[Bahseph]

I've lost track of the amount of hours I've spent trying to play in the "box". He makes it seem so easy

 

[Gob]

Markram
Elgar
Amla
Faf
AB
Bavuma
QDK
Philander
Maharaj
Steyn
Morkel

Replace Maharaj by Rabada only if the pitch is a green mamba imo.

No **** if you want India to win

 

[Spark]

In Tests alone that's crazy. He just hasn't put up the numbers that would make him top 10 of all time. Even SA fans know that. I still rate Amla slightly above him in Tests.

To be clear it's not SA fans who do it! They almost universally know better. Weirdly, it's often Indian fans who do it, and that's why I can only assume it comes from watching highlights of those crazy knocks against WI and in the IPL and assuming it transfers to Tests too.

 

[srbhkshk]

To be clear it's not SA fans who do it! They almost universally know better. Weirdly, it's often Indian fans who do it, and that's why I can only assume it comes from watching those crazy knocks against WI and in the IPL and assuming it transfers to Tests too.

If Indian fans were to decide the best batsman order it'd go -

Dravid > ABD > Sachin > Bradman

Sometimes it drives me crazy how people think about cricketers on supposedly intellectual sites like Quora.

 

[Spark]

If Indian fans were to decide the best batsman order it'd go -

Dravid > ABD > Sachin > Bradman

Sometimes it drives me crazy how people think about cricketers on supposedly intellectual sites like Quora.

Quora is fun but I swear that half of what I read there is... questionable at best.

 

[Daemon]

Yep. Thankfully we have next to none of those types on CW. Indian community here is pretty much all RANDI these days.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Quora is fun but I swear that half of what I read there is... questionable at best.

Indians killed quora and will soon kill CW and the rest of the internet when the rest of the billion idiots get affordable access to the web in the next 5 years or so. Net neutrality can go **** itself... We're the biggest threat to the internet.

 

[vcs]

Quora is utter bollocks. Tired of that place real quick

 

[vcs]

Indians killed quora and will soon kill CW and the rest of the internet when the rest of the billion idiots get affordable access to the web in the next 5 years or so. Net neutrality can go **** itself... We're the biggest threat to the internet.

Haha, never a truer word spoken. Soon the Internet will look like the Times of India comment section.