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Were the Australian batsmen Overrated?

Arrow

U19 Vice-Captain
Ive always thought that the current era of aussie batsmen have had it easy because of the consistently low grade bowling attacks they have been facing for the past 5 or so years, and now when they are finally up against some genuine quality bowling notably pace, they are not looking good at all.
Guys like Hayden, Ponting, Langer, Martyn, were merely average at best (ponting was pretty good) in the 90s and only exploded when the quality of world bowling went down the toilet at the turn of the century.

I always thought it, but now it seems to be getting confirmed.
Wasnt there 80s Windies V Current Australian team thread around here recently?
Id say anyone who thought the windies pace quartet wouldnt decimate the current aussie team is quietly rethinking their stance.
Australia are finding out thats it hard bullying genuine quality bowling.
 

Craig

World Traveller
And you can include the flattening out of wickets and the shortness of the boundaries.
 

Dasa

International Vice-Captain
It's not just Aussie batsmen, it's plenty of batsmen around the world. The advent of flatter pitches and some pretty poor bowlers have allowed several average players to score very heavily - players who wouldn't achieve half as much 20 years ago.
 

King_Ponting

International Regular
i dont believe the australian batting lne up is overated at all. Now indias line up...... thats overated for sure.
 

age_master

Hall of Fame Member
The current Aussie batting lineup is not so much over rated, but well out of form - Ponting, Langer and Martyn all are excellent players of Pace usually, not to mention Gilchrist, who is always there or thereabouts
 

Dasa

International Vice-Captain
King_Ponting said:
i dont believe the australian batting lne up is overated at all. Now indias line up...... thats overated for sure.
How so? No one is calling them the best in the world, but the Indian Test line-up consists of two all-time greats (Dravid and Tendulkar), another excellent (but unproven) batsman (Sehwag) and the occasional brilliance of Laxman.
 

King_Ponting

International Regular
Dasa said:
How so? No one is calling them the best in the world, but the Indian Test line-up consists of two all-time greats (Dravid and Tendulkar), another excellent (but unproven) batsman (Sehwag) and the occasional brilliance of Laxman.
I was under the impression tat the indian line up was renowned as the most dangeroud and talented line up in the world..
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
In my opinion, the Australian batting lineup circa 2001 (Langer, Hayden, Ponting, M Waugh, S Waugh, Martyn, Gilchrist) stands alongside the West Indies and England in the 50s and Australia in the late 40s as the strongest batting lineups ever assembled in test cricket. I don't believe they are overrated at all. However, it could be argued that the loss off the Waughs (particularly Steve), Lehmann etc have weakened it, and some of the players may be past their best.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
King_Ponting said:
i dont believe the australian batting lne up is overated at all. Now indias line up...... thats overated for sure.
The Indian batsman (like the rest of the world) have to bat against Warne, McGrath, Gillespie (the Dizzy of old when he was awesome) and Kasprowicz.

Australian batsman have had to deal with Zaheer Kahn, Ashish Nehra and Irfan Pathan, along with Kumble who is consistent but far from great away from home, and Harbhajan who has plenty to learn. Do I need to say more?

I'm not saying the Indian batting line-up is better than Australia's, but what I am saying is there is a case that the Aussie batsmen have had it much easier than the rest of the world, purely because of the greatness of their bowling attack in recent times. For example IMO McGrath would clean up Hayden quite often, and would worry Ponting a hell of a lot early.
 

andyc

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
FaaipDeOiad said:
In my opinion, the Australian batting lineup circa 2001 (Langer, Hayden, Ponting, M Waugh, S Waugh, Martyn, Gilchrist) stands alongside the West Indies and England in the 50s and Australia in the late 40s as the strongest batting lineups ever assembled in test cricket. I don't believe they are overrated at all. However, it could be argued that the loss off the Waughs (particularly Steve), Lehmann etc have weakened it, and some of the players may be past their best.
I'll agree with that. The number of match-saving stands between S Waugh-Martyn-Gilchrist must be huge.
 

Slow Love™

International Captain
Most of this has already been said, but in so much as it is manifestly easier to average 50 or above in this current era, many batsmen have probably been evaluated as "greats" that aren't, and on that level, they're overrated.

I don't think I subscribe to the view that this batting lineup was "only" good at beating up lousy attacks, and they're being exposed/unmasked as amazingly overrated against the current English attack. I wouldn't mind waiting until the end of the series to evaluate them (because things might change radically over the next two tests), but at this stage, even though England's bowlers are doing a great job, I don't really think we are seeing a contest between two teams at the height of their powers.
 

simmy

International Regular
Massively overrated. They play on quick bouncy tracks tailored for strokeplay, the ball doesnt swing at all and spin isnt plentiful. England players on the other hand play half their tests in conditions where the ball moves.

I think that the batting averages are hence massivley inflated.

They also seem to be very stubborn in their approch this series. Hayden despite continually being out LBW to Hoggard is still planting his front foot forward. He simply wont get away with it.

Warne is showing the other bats how to do it and he averages 16. Katich is a perfect example of how they are overrated. Playing wafty shots outside offstump whilst batting time is pathetic and he has been doing it all series.

They have no answer to the England pacers... and its disappointing cos this series is getting one sided now.
 

simmy

International Regular
I also think that the bowlers are overrated, McGrath and Warne excluded.

Just seems to me that Gillespie, Lee and others have been feeding off tight bowling the other end from Warne and McGrath. Without Warne and McGrath they would find it difficult to get 20 wickets.

Gillespie needs to go home. Now.
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
simmy said:
I also think that the bowlers are overrated, McGrath and Warne excluded.

Just seems to me that Gillespie, Lee and others have been feeding off tight bowling the other end from Warne and McGrath. Without Warne and McGrath they would find it difficult to get 20 wickets.

Gillespie needs to go home. Now.
Yeah, you're right, Gillespie was crap back in 2001 and 1997, wasn't he?

Then again, since you're obviously a troll who only shows up here to pound the same point over and over and disappears when proven wrong, there's not much point in responding eh?
 

simmy

International Regular
Ponting is looking good at the moment but at times I have been wondering how he has ever got a test match run!

Rugby World Cup and the Ashes. Super duper!
 
Channel 4 were showing some of Gillespie's wickets from the 2001 series. He was arguably one of the best 3 pacemen in the world back then.

Chalk and cheese.
 

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