From the last 50 years, who has the worst ATG XI from the big 8? SL, NZ or England?

[Red]

Aus in the last 50 years

Hayden
Taylor
Ponting
Chappell
Smith
Border
Gilchrist
Warne
Cummins
Lillee
McGrath

 

[ankitj]

Steve Waugh can't find a place. That says something about the strength of this side

 

[Red]

Steve Waugh can't find a place. That says something about the strength of this side

Second XI could be

Langer
Boon
I Chappell
Hussey
Clarke
SWaugh
Healy
Gillespie
McDermott
Thomson
MacGill

prob forgot someone

 

[Spark]

For some reason I feel weird picking both Hussey and Clarke in a second XI side. I probably can't find a good reason not to pick them both, but they were mainstays in probably the most underwhelming (relative to reputation) batting lineup Aus have fielded in my lifetime.

 

[sunilz]

Aus in the last 50 years

Hayden
Taylor
Ponting
Chappell
Smith
Border
Gilchrist
Warne
Cummins
Lillee
McGrath

To play against

Sehwag
Gavaskar
Pujara
Tendulkar
Kohli
Dravid
Dhoni
Kapil
Jadeja
Ashwin
Bumrah

 

[The Sean]

To play against

Sehwag
Gavaskar
Pujara
Tendulkar
Kohli
Dravid
Dhoni
Kapil
Jadeja
Ashwin
Shami
Bumrah

I appreciate your acknowledgement of Australia's superiority by needing to pick 12 Indian players to take them on.

 

[sunilz]

I appreciate your acknowledgement of Australia's superiority by needing to pick 12 Indian players to take them on.

Edited just in time. Read again ?

I am seriously considering dropping Dravid for Laxman ?

 

[Spark]

Considering? Laxman should be first picked if this side is specifically for playing against Australia.

 

[sunilz]

Considering? Laxman should be first picked if this side is specifically for playing against Australia.

At no.6 I feel Laxman would be more useful than Dravid.

Or drop Pujara and have both Laxman and Dravid .

So , the question is who is better batsman? Laxman or Pujara

 

[ankitj]

Edited just in time. Read again ?

I am seriously considering dropping Dravid for Laxman ?

Dropping Pujara for Laxman is better, no?

 

[sunilz]

Dropping Pujara for Laxman is better, no?

Is Laxman better batsman than Pujara ?

 

[h_hurricane]

If you are specifically picking an Indian side to play Australia, Pant over Dhoni is a no brainer for me.

Gavaskar
Sehwag
Pujara
Tendulkar
Kohli
Laxman
Pant
Kapil
Jadeja
Ashwin
Bumrah

 

[Teja.]

Is Laxman better batsman than Pujara ?

Yes. Laxman's record is sorta ruined and he 'only' averages around 45 due to his first 20-25 tests when he was picked as an opener even though he conveyed he heavily disliked the role. Prior to 2001 Kolkota test, he had an average of 25 in about as many tests. Since then, he has a record of 100+ tests over 12 years averaging around 50 which is longer than Pujara's entire career. Pujara played in a tougher era than Laxman but Laxman has a more complete record. Despite that one massive series in Australia, Pujara is a bit of a HTB and averages 32 outside Asia. Not that Pujara has not played some epic knocks but Laxman is on a different level along with Lara in terms of playing incredible clutch knocks in my time of watching cricket.

 

[Spark]

Like, Laxman won series, on his own, against ATG attacks on the regular. There's the tangible, quantitative aspect to a batsman's record and then there's the intangible, qualitative measures and on those Laxman vs Australia scores about as highly as any batsman ever has.

 

[sunilz]

If you are specifically picking an Indian side to play Australia, Pant over Dhoni is a no brainer for me.

Gavaskar
Sehwag
Pujara
Tendulkar
Kohli
Laxman
Pant
Kapil
Jadeja
Ashwin
Bumrah

Not for Australia. All teams. Can't pick ATXI only focussed on 1 team.

 

[Spark]

Not for Australia. All teams. Can't pick ATXI only focussed on 1 team.

Okay you should have clarified that then because I and I think everyone else has been operating on the assumption that is specifically to play Australia.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I'm arguably the biggest Laxman fan on the forum, but I genuinely don't think pujaras career is that far off. He has his own strengths, for instance at his peak he piled on the runs and dominated series in a way vvs didn't really do. Even vs Australia, Pujara has played almost as many if not more extremely valuable match winning knocks. He doesn't have the 281 which let's be fair no one does. But his 92 at bangalore, the double at ranchi, both innings at Adelaide in 2018 tour and his Sydney knock earlier this year all compare favorably with other vvs classics like Mohali. He should 100% make a team to play Australia over Kohli imo. He has been the single most important batsman in India's last 3 series wins vs them and they've all been in historically important series.

 

[Spark]

I'm arguably the biggest Laxman fan on the forum, but I genuinely don't think pujaras career is that far off. He has his own strengths, for instance at his peak he piled on the runs and dominated series in a way vvs didn't really do. Even vs Australia, Pujara has played almost as many if not more extremely valuable match winning knocks. He doesn't have the 281 which let's be fair no one does. But his 92 at bangalore, the double at ranchi, both innings at Adelaide in 2018 tour and his Sydney knock earlier this year all compare favorably with other vvs classics like Mohali. He should 100% make a team to play Australia over Kohli imo.

I don't talk about it that much but I think I once made the argument here that while Laxman obviously would not make an out-and-out-literal-ATG XI based on his record, I also think he would not be remotely out of place if you stipulated that he had to be picked. Still believe that.

 

[sunilz]

Yes. Laxman's record is sorta ruined and he 'only' averages around 45 due to his first 20-25 tests when he was picked as an opener even though he conveyed he heavily disliked the role. Prior to 2001 Kolkota test, he had an average of 25 in about as many tests. Since then, he has a record of 100+ tests over 12 years averaging around 50 which is longer than Pujara's entire career. Pujara played in a tougher era than Laxman but Laxman has a more complete record. Despite that one massive series in Australia, Pujara is a bit of a HTB and averages 32 outside Asia. Not that Pujara has not played some epic knocks but Laxman is on a different level along with Lara in terms of playing incredible clutch knocks in my time of watching cricket.

I get your point. But considering our pace bowling attack is not comparable to AUS/SA/WI in last 50 years , most of our wins are going to come in Asia against these teams

So who is more likely to win matches in Asia? Pujara or Laxman.

Or you are considering Pujara a liability outside Asia and therefore picking Laxman.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Was a 50+ average batsman as long as you didn't make him open.