Laxman vs Gower

[BazBall21]

I want a basic idea of how this forum rates Gower as he's only been in one poll over the past few years.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Gower easily. He wasn't far behind Crowe.

 

[peterhrt]

I want a basic idea of how this forum rates Gower as he's only been in one poll over the past few years.

The Australians thought Gower was the world's best batsman during the mid-1980s. English commentators tended to favour Richards, Greenidge or Crowe. With Border on the scene and Javed Miandad and Hick soon to enter the discussion things were not clear-cut.

Mike Atherton claims the best four England batsmen he has seen are Gooch, Gower, Pietersen and Root. He declined to place them in order but said Gooch was the best against high pace and Root the most adept against spin. Pietersen's long reach forced bowlers to drop short and he was the most likely to win a match on his own.

For all his wafting outside off-stump, Gower may have been the best all-round bat of the four. He was more competitive than he made out and his left-handedness proved an advantage against certain bowlers.

 

[BazBall21]

The Australians thought Gower was the world's best batsman during the mid-1980s. English commentators tended to favour Richards, Greenidge or Crowe. With Border on the scene and Javed Miandad and Hick soon to enter the discussion things were not clear-cut.

Mike Atherton claims the best four England batsmen he has seen are Gooch, Gower, Pietersen and Root. He declined to place them in order but said Gooch was the best against high pace and Root the most adept against spin. Pietersen's long reach forced bowlers to drop short and he was the most likely to win a match on his own.

For all his wafting outside off-stump, Gower may have been the best all-round bat of the four. He was more competitive than he made out and his left-handedness proved an advantage against certain bowlers.

Out of those four I go

1) Root
2) Gooch
3) Gower
4) Pietersen.

 

[Chin Music]

The most stylish English player I ever watched was Gower. Certainly isn't a lot between him, Gooch and Pietersen although Gooch played probably the most skilled innings of all with that ton v Windies in 91 at Headingly. I think Gower gets marked down because he didn't do so well v Windies whereas Gooch did.

 

[BazBall21]

The most stylish English player I ever watched was Gower. Certainly isn't a lot between him, Gooch and Pietersen although Gooch played probably the most skilled innings of all with that ton v Windies in 91 at Headingly. I think Gower gets marked down because he didn't do so well v Windies whereas Gooch did.

Yeah it's very close between those two. Gower did better overseas but Gooch did better against WI. Gower's record against WI in tests is actually okay if unspectacular (except the 1984 series) but I think his record against WI in ODI cricket conveys some issues against high pace. Had struggles against guys like Imran Khan and Geoff Lawson too.

One of Gower's greatest accomplishments for me is the three hundreds against prime Richard Hadlee at no3. I think Gower was a slightly better test bat than Pietersen.

 

[BazBall21]

Lawson was all over Gower in 89 but he did feature in each test four years earlier when Gower ran riot so to be fair that goes down as an even contest.

 

[Chin Music]

Lawson was all over Gower in 89 but he did feature in each test four years earlier when Gower ran riot so to be fair that goes down as an even contest.

I don't recall Lawson as being that quick in the 89 series although my recollections are that he looked pretty sharp in 81.

 

[BazBall21]

I don't recall Lawson as being that quick in the 89 series although my recollections are that he looked pretty sharp in 81.

Gower has a hundred against a younger Lawson in Australia to go with that unbeaten 150 in Jamaica against a gun attack (which was surely his best test innings). 98* against Lillee in Australia too. No doubt he could handle high pace.

 

[Chin Music]

Gower has a hundred against a younger Lawson in Australia to go with that unbeaten 150 in Jamaica against a gun attack (which was surely his best test innings). 98* against Lillee in Australia too. No doubt he could handle high pace.

Gower's issue was his outright consistency, not his capability. I remember him playing some truly awful shots to get out to far less demanding seamers across his career. I seem to remember him falling a couple of times to Jeremy Coney, the earlier version of Chris Harris, but one who bowled slow medium wobblers rather than leg cutters.

 

[BazBall21]

Gower's issue was his outright consistency, not his capability. I remember him playing some truly awful shots to get out to far less demanding seamers across his career. I seem to remember him falling a couple of times to Jeremy Coney, the earlier version of Chris Harris, but one who bowled slow medium wobblers rather than leg cutters.

It's ironic in a way that he always averaged more than Gooch whereas Gooch probably has the better top 5 knocks.

 

[Chin Music]

It's ironic in a way that he always averaged more than Gooch whereas Gooch probably has the better top 5 knocks.

As we know, Gooch struggled quite badly in his younger years and that affected his overall average. To do some cricinfo stat mining, if you start from 1 Jan 1982 his average rises to 49.68 and that includes his debacle against Alderman in 89!

 

[BazBall21]

As we know, Gooch struggled quite badly in his younger years and that affected his overall average. To do some cricinfo stat mining, if you start from 1 Jan 1982 his average rises to 49.68 and that includes his debacle against Alderman in 89!

Haha yeah, he suffers from playing his worst matchup so much as well. Australia take six runs away from his final average! Even at the end of 1989 when it looked as though Terry may have finished him, Gooch actually averaged 43 against opposition not called Australia.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Gower...I love lefties

 

[Anil]

Both wonderfully stylish players. Gower the more elegant for me, was such a sight to behold in full flow...

 

[number11]

Gower was a wonderful player.

 

[Majestic]

VVS usually reserved his best vs the great Australian side of 2000s and he was wonderful in pressure situations.

Gower probably more elegant and pleasing of the two but Laxman more effective under pressure situations and was a match winner for his country down at 5 or 6.

 

[sayon basak]

@Johan where do you rate the two?

 

[Johan]

@Johan where do you rate the two?

above almost every Pakistani bat

 

[BazBall21]

Gower because he was very good in all conditions.

Laxman was a liability v swing and seam.