Dhoni is a superstar. Haters can suck it

[vcs]

Originally Posted by smalishah84

Agree with this.

It boils down to personal preference as well to a certain degree. I like finishers better compared to hard hitting batsmen up the order. Bevan type batsmen a rare breed.

I have the opposite preference to you. I have said earlier that I would pick Ponting over Bevan if I was building a team and had to choose one of them. But there's absolutely nothing between the two, they're both in the discussion for ODI greatest batsman ever.

[Sanz]

Originally Posted by Ikki

The bolded is your opinion, but unadulterated tripe.

Viv and Bevan were completely different ODI batsmen. Viv was a hard-hitting #3/4 and Bevan a finisher (although he averaged 60! at #4). One set up big scores, the other one chased them. In terms of upper order batsmen there probably is no one as good as Viv, with Sachin just behind. In terms of finishing there is no one like Bevan.

Dhoni Averages 70 @ No. 4 with a strike rate of 100+, Bevan Averages 60 with a strike rate of 70.

[Sanz]

Originally Posted by Ikki

The bolded is your opinion, but unadulterated tripe.

Viv and Bevan were completely different ODI batsmen. Viv was a hard-hitting #3/4 and Bevan a finisher (although he averaged 60! at #4). One set up big scores, the other one chased them. In terms of upper order batsmen there probably is no one as good as Viv, with Sachin just behind. In terms of finishing there is no one like Bevan.

And what you say is your opinion too don't try to pass it up as some sort of fact. There was no one like IVAR, no matter where he batted.

[zorax]

OBV there was no one as good as Richards, but there were tons of cheap imitations. Doesn't stop Bevan from being one of the best all-time.

Fantastic finisher really. I'd argue Hussey could have been just as good, if not better, if he had a longer career.

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by Sanz

And what you say is your opinion too don't try to pass it up as some sort of fact. There was no one like IVAR, no matter where he batted.

I actually agree with you about Richards in ODIs, but lol @ the irony in this post.

[Sanz]

I should have added IMO there.

[weldone]

Dhoni's a true champ. I've maintained from a while now that I consider him the best ODI wicketkeeper-batsman of all-time in the world, slightly above Gilchrist. He's definitely among the best captains from India ever, if not the best. And nowadays I am considering him seriously as a contender to be in All-time Indian Test XI, as well. He has improved hugely as a wicketkeeper from the time he had come in the team. And currently he's definitely among the top 3 wicketkeepers in the world (on keeping alone).

[Bun]

He is h & s above Gilly as a wk batsman in ODIs period.

[8ankitj]

Originally Posted by Bun

He is h & s above Gilly as a wk batsman in ODIs period.

You should have added IMO there

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by Bun

He is h & s above Gilly as a wk batsman in ODIs period.

That's a big call to make, given the differences in the positions they batted in.

Dhoni is a great, great LO batsman though. No doubt about that. I actually like the way he's changed his game the past few years. That innings he played the other night was a great, great knock. To put yourself under the spotlight like that and to come through when it matters most confirms his greatness as an ODI player to me (but I thought he was great beforehand it should be said).

[Spark]

Thought his reaction upon hitting the six was win, btw. Just a cool, nonchalant smile whilst everyone else went beserk.

[kingpin]

Cannot compare Gilly and Dhoni.....Gilly was a opener and Dhoni a LO batsman!!...But ya a pretty close competition b/w them..I think Dhoni may be above all when he will be about to retire....right up their with SRT and Richards IMO....

[Bun]

Originally Posted by Burgey

That's a big call to make, given the differences in the positions they batted in.

Dhoni is a great, great LO batsman though. No doubt about that. I actually like the way he's changed his game the past few years. That innings he played the other night was a great, great knock. To put yourself under the spotlight like that and to come through when it matters most confirms his greatness as an ODI player to me (but I thought he was great beforehand it should be said).

Originally Posted by kingpin

Cannot compare Gilly and Dhoni.....Gilly was a opener and Dhoni a LO batsman!!...But ya a pretty close competition b/w them..I think Dhoni may be above all when he will be about to retire....right up their with SRT and Richards IMO....

The only thing that was giving Gilly an advantage was that he performed superbly un the WC finals. Something Dhoni didn't get a chance to. But now, that is done, Dhoni is at the same time a Wk, captain, extremely reliable middle order bat, explosive top order bat, slogger, accumulator. It's hard to see what role has he not played in the team. Perhaps barring opening, although his biggest scores have come when he pseudoopened it at no.3. Once in a lifetime player really.

[8ankitj]

Originally Posted by Spark

Thought his reaction upon hitting the six was win, btw. Just a cool, nonchalant smile whilst everyone else went beserk.

That's Dhoni for you. Does huge things but does them nonchalantly and without fuss. One rare show of emotion in the match though was when he was forces into a single by Yuvi. He hit his own pads so hard that the thud was audible beyond the boundary rope they say.

[Bun]

Gilly is a legend period. But he was a unidimensional player. Come see hit if not get out. He played his natural game almost throughout his career. Not a bad thing especially when he had players like Ponting, Hayden, Bevan, Symonds etc to do it after him, and having watched him adapt during the 2003-04 test series in India, Gilly indeed perhaps possessed the "play through" game. But fact is it never really was proven in ODIs. It's like calling Warne the best Aussie captain that never was. There are peripheral evidence pointing to the same, but none direct.