The evolution of LOIs in your lifetime

[OverratedSanity]

The more I think about it, calling Tendulkar and Kohli "pioneers" probably isn't quite right. They were just really, really good, rather than doing something new or encouraging a change in tactics/technique etc. They still deserve a mention though.

I'd consider adding Dhoni even though you already have Bevan, he did a similar thing but in a changed era.

Maybe Ian Harvey for death bowling/slower balls etc? Or Steve Waugh/Simon O'Donnell probably did the same thing but earlier.

Agree about kohli but Tendulkar, while not the very first attacking opener, was certainly one of the batch of openers which really kickstarted that mentality of attacking up front. Greatbatch and Srikkanth did it before him but they didn't go out looking to attack every game, they did it on occasion and the times they did attack in the first 15 are much more infrequent than you'd expect if you look at the list of their innings. Tendulkar from 94 made a conscious effort to go out to open with the intent of scoring a run a ball in every single innings and was striking high 80s when 65-70 was considered good enough.

Dean Jones deserves a mention for his play in the middle overs imo.

 

[Kirkut]

Hitting sixes was very rare till 90s, Dean Jones the pre Gilly-Hayden power hitter never hit more than 4 to 5 sixes in an innings, Viv smashed 5 sixes in his 189 and Jayasuria hitting 4 sixes in his 189 as well. Also the bats they used did not look like high tech stuff, more like the bats anyone can buy from a local sports goods store, more simplicity in the game. So the ones who hit big shots were actually that skilled.

The bowlers bowled with the mindset to pick wickets, they had that test match mindset. Now it's about being economical/damage control mode.

 

[Dan]

Tendulkar was also the first one to actually blend the whole being aggressive as an opener thing with actually scoring runs.

 

[stephen]

Tendulkar was also the first one to actually blend the whole being aggressive as an opener thing with actually scoring runs.

Tendulkar was great because he averaged what the anchors averaged and struck like the hitters struck. He did both roles as well as most others did one.

 

[Bolo]

I don't think many of these guys really tried anything new. They just did what others had tried more successfully. If not then we would have seen someone else with ability come along and try it.

Jaya was probably something new for sending good bats to the top of the order to constantly attack rather than garbage pinch hitters.

Bevan might have been something new, but it didn't catch on. Only Dhoni really.

Dhoni vaguely added something new with the helicopter shot. Not that others emulated the shot itself, but it taught people to attack yorkers and kinda killed the ball. Together with Dilshan for showing people what a money shot playing behind the wicket could be, not inventing it.

Rhodes for drawing attention to how valuable fielding was in ODIs, and making training a lot more scientific.

Dernbach for killing the widespread trend of making every ball being some garbage variation.

 

[Starfighter]

Two new balls killed yorkers much more effectively than an on-drive with a funny follow through. They're still the best ball at the death regardless, not the short length rubbish that gets employed in Australia these days.

 

[cnerd123]

The effectiveness of certain death bowling strategies just goes around in circles. It's like a game of rock paper scissors. When batsmen start looking to get under length balls, bowlers respond by bowling yorkers. When batsmen start taking a step back in their crease or scooping/paddling yorkers behind the wicket, bowlers start bowling short balls. When batsmen stand tall or start advancing down the wicket, bowlers hit a good length again. And around in circles we go.

It's really just a game of 'can I guess what you want to do next ball and execute the correct response to it'

 

[Bolo]

Two new balls killed yorkers much more effectively than an on-drive with a funny follow through. They're still the best ball at the death regardless, not the short length rubbish that gets employed in Australia these days.

Not the shot itself, but rather the idea that you can be attacking a good yorker instead of just giving a dot. People use their feet more and play behind. Once people started scoring off them, bowlers stopped bowling them, and forgot how to do it, which has been a major win for bats, because they are a good ball.

 

[Starfighter]

Not the shot itself, but rather the idea that you can be attacking a good yorker instead of just giving a dot. People use their feet more and play behind. Once people started scoring off them, bowlers stopped bowling them, and forgot how to do it, which has been a major win for bats, because they are a good ball.

The bats have a much easier time getting behind them if there's no movement. Reverse swing in particular often has a dipping trajectory if delivered correctly. I think other people were beginning to use various options (ramps and other funky shots etc) at the same time, and modern play has more to do with general use of open-stanced techniques from T20 than anything Dhoni did specifically.

 

[Starfighter]

Dernbach for killing the widespread trend of making every ball being some garbage variation.

Andrew Tye and Ravi Ashwin say hi.

 

[Bolo]

My first memory of people really going after yorkers was Dhoni. Then suddenly everyone. I'm not sure it's accurate though. Maybe ramps preceded it and maybe it was just a natural development from the changing game like most othe things mentioned.

 

[Second Spitter]

Bevan might have been something new, but it didn't catch on. Only Dhoni really.

Roger Harper has a lot to answer for in the making of the Legend of Michael Gwyl Borevan

 

[stephen]

Roger Harper has a lot to answer for in the making of the Legend of Michael Gwyl Borevan

Bevan saved his best
for the west
indies.

 

[Second Spitter]

Bevan saved his best
for the west
indies.

Shane Lee was a more
exciting batsman
than Borevan.

 

[stephen]

Shane Lee was a more
exciting batsman
than Borevan.

I disagree. A tight run chase where you just get across the line is far more exciting than scoring 14 runs per over to get there in a canter.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Bevan wasn't about exciting, he was about winning

 

[stephen]

Bevan chasing down an impossible target, shepherding the tail against the might of the Windies was incredibly exciting. His run chases are some of my strongest memories of that era due to how exciting they were.

 

[harsh.ag]

I hated Bevan. Nudging in the gap - hard running the 2s bastard.

 

[Migara]

Hogg was not much chop at the first class/ test level. Averaged 40 in fc cricket. Though that could in part be due to the fact that he played for WA and the WACA is probably the worst pitch in the world to bowl spin on.

If I am not mistaken Warne averaged 35 in shield cricket in Australia. So 40 is nothing to be ashamed of. And he will improve with exposure as well. He was not a natural bowler.

 

[Migara]

My first memory of people really going after yorkers was Dhoni. Then suddenly everyone. I'm not sure it's accurate though. Maybe ramps preceded it and maybe it was just a natural development from the changing game like most othe things mentioned.

Aravinda, Jones and Crowe were the first to decipher reverse swing and started hitting inswiging yorkers behind midwicket. There is a showpiece shot by Aravinda im 2003 WC, when he flicks a piched up 90mph ball by Brett Lee over long leg. That type of hitting of yorkers started by these three. Kohli and Dhoni took it to a new level.