Who was the real pioneer of explosive opening in Odis?

[Anoop K]

 

It is a well known fact, during 1996 WC, Jayasuriya-Kaluwitharana duo revolutionised ODI opening with their aggressive scoring in first 15 overs. It became the norm since and they are credited as the pioneers of modern ODI opening model.

Fact Check
Highest Strike Rates for opening batsmen until 1996
( minimum cut off - 10 innings, 75 strike Rate)

Only 3 batsmen qualified

Saeed Anwar 69 innings, 37 avg at 77 SR 
Sanath Jayasuriya 40 innings, 28 avg at 78 SR 
Sachin Tendulkar 32 innings, 48 avg at 94 SR 

Thoughts?   

Via CricketWeb   

[Global.Baba]

That Sachin knock in Auckland was the first T20 style knock ever. I mean that knock blows a lot of T20 knocks these days out of the water in terms of sheer shot making ability

[zen]

The field restrictions in the first 15 overs were mainly seen in ODIs in Aus. In 1992 Aus-Ind-WI tri-series, we saw individual players like Srikant make good use of it in many of the games.
 

The 1992 WC had those first 15 overs  rules adapted for the first time. NZ came up with innovative strategies like Greatbach attacking in PPs and Deepak Patel, a spinner, opening the bowling. Which is why I rate Crowe highly as a captain. He also led from the front and was the first Man of the Tournament in the WCs. Unfortunately, ppl remember this World Cup more for Pak’s unexpected win. But it was more about Kiwis losing it. Crowe was sick in the SF. Eng too opened with Botham in 1992 WC to take advantage of field restrictions. 

 

In 1996 WC, SL optimized the use of PP. A destruction in PP with such intensity was not observed before. Ind had its medium pacers like Prabhakar bowl spin to SL. Ind was also influenced by SL’s strategy (and chasing abilities where game could be in SL’s corner after the first 15) that it even opted to bowl first in SF on a deteriorating Kolkata pitch. 
 

While it is difficult to pinpoint individuals as pioneers (and most of us only viewed Ind games. Guys like Viv used to smash bowling even if WI was like 0/2). In the 92 WC, NZ and Eng can be seen to have adapted hitting in PP as a strategy (vs individuals doing it on their own accord) 

 

If we talk about long lasting impact, it is SL that showed how destructive the strategy to attack in PP can be

Edited February 1, 2020 by zen

[Anoop K]

Mark greatbatch too missed this exclusive list. He had a strike rate of 72 as an opener though in 1992 WC he scored 313 runs with a strike rate of 87.5

Edited February 1, 2020 by Anoop K
Incomplete

[zen]

10 minutes ago, Anoop K said:

Mark greatbatch too missed this exclusive list. He had a strike rate of 72 as an opener though in 1992 he scored 313 runs with a strike rate of 87.5

You may also want to look at scorecards of WI in Ind in 83/84. Richards and Greenidge pilled on quick runs. Scoring 300+ in 45 overs in one game. I have a thread on it as well - WI in Ind in 83/84 (or something like that)

[Anoop K]

Just now, zen said:

You may also want to look at scorecards of WI in Ind in 83/84. Richards and Greenidge pilled on quick runs. Scoring 300+ in 45 overs in one game. I have a thread on it as well - WI in Ind in 83/84 (or something like that)

I agree though  I am more interested in openers (greenidge) .Viv, Kapil  of course were having SR of 90+. Kapil had a strike rate of 102 in 80's. 

[zen]

Just now, Anoop K said:

I agree though  I am more interested in openers (greenidge) .Viv, Kapil  of course were having SR of 90+. Kapil had a strike rate of 102 in 80's. 

Greenidge would have a few innings but he played in the red ball cricket era quite a lot w/o restrictions in the first 15 overs so there was no need to attack quicks with the new ball early on 

 

The early examples would be from ODIs in Aus where they had that PP rule (I talked about that in one of my posts) and also used white ball. 

[Autonomous]

Saeed Anwar used to play his shots and was an elegant player, Jaysuriya also was a beautiful timer of the ball. 

 

IMO gilly is the pioneer explosive opener purely for entertainment and bashing. The guy was too good. 

[zen]

Talking about red ball ODIs where there was no field restrictions in first 15 and no real need to attack firing quick bowlers with the new ball, Gavaskar played this inning vs NZ in 1987 WC. It was required to have a run rate to allow Ind to play SF in Ind vs going to Pak. Though looking at Ind record vs Pak in WCs, it would not have been a bad idea to play in Pak  

 

 

 

 

 

[Anoop K]

Greatbatch never got much recognition because New Zealand didn't win the WC and immediately after WC he went back to 68-69 strike rate for most of his innings with the exception of 3-4 half centuries. On the other hand Jayasurya built upon the success of 96 WC. Same year he made fastest century & half century and played many destructive innings after that. 

[Anoop K]

10 minutes ago, zen said:

Talking about red ball ODIs where there was no field restrictions in first 15 and no real need to attack firing quick bowlers with the new ball, Gavaskar played this inning vs NZ in 1987 WC. It was required to have a run rate to allow Ind to play SF in Ind vs going to Pak. Though looking at Ind record vs Pak in WCs, it would not have been a bad idea to play in Pak  

 

 

 

 

 

From 1985 onwards Gavaskar's Odi record. 

Matches- 56

Runs-1954

Average - 45.44

Strike rate- 66.01

Century-1

Half century -20

 

For a small period of around 3 years Gavaskar was India 's best Odi batsman. 

[zen]

37 minutes ago, Autonomous said:

 

IMO gilly is the pioneer explosive opener purely for entertainment and bashing. The guy was too good. 

Note that a pioneer is someone who is first or among the first to initiate something. Gilly made his debut much later than some of the guys, who were explosive and entertaining too, being discussed here. There was nothing new that Gilly brought to the table than pursuing a model already in use.  I guess, you could be confusing pioneering with effectiveness  

 

Edited February 1, 2020 by zen

[zen]

7 minutes ago, Anoop K said:

From 1985 onwards Gavaskar's Odi record. 

Matches- 56

Runs-1954

Average - 45.44

Strike rate- 66.01

Century-1

Half century -20

 

For a small period of around 3 years Gavaskar was India 's best Odi batsman. 

A late boomer in ODIs .... though Ind’s best AT test batsman so far!

[vvvslaxman]

Is there a doubt? It is Krish Srikkanth. He played that way in both Tests and ODI.  In 1983 final in his 38 he hit 7 fours and a six.

[vvvslaxman]

I remember in one of the ODI at the Adelaide oval i think Srikkanth smoked Malcom Marshall for the longer part of the boundary for a six. It was like 90 meter six.

 

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8531/scorecard/65483/india-vs-west-indies-5th-match-benson-&-hedges-world-series-1991-92

 

Then there was this tri series against SL  he murdered Srilankan opening bowlers very early on. I think he scored 3 fifties there.

 

He played Test matches that way as well. He obliterated Imran Khan in the cHennai Test and a ODI in the same series.  Then there was a test match where Patterson and co was hard to handle. He scored run a ball 50 in both innings.

[zen]

@Harsh Thakor  what about Majid Khan

[Param Mastishk Pheeka]

9 minutes ago, vvvslaxman said:

Is there a doubt? It is Krish Srikkanth. He played that way in both Tests and ODI.  In 1983 final in his 38 he hit 7 fours and a six.

Srikkanth definitely has a claim to the pioneer spot for this model.  As does Greatbatch.  BTW is there a video of Srikkanth's WC 83 finals innings? 

[vvvslaxman]

1 minute ago, Param Mastishk Pheeka said:

Srikkanth definitely has a claim to the pioneer spot for this model.  As does Greatbatch.  BTW is there a video of Srikkanth's WC 83 finals innings? 

Greatbatch by nature is not an explosive batsman. They just used him to exploit the shorter boundaries. I don't think he batted anywhere else outside that world cup. But Srikkanth all his life in all formats first class, ODI, Test matches batted like this. He  didn't know any other way to bat.  

 

 

[jusarrived]

21 minutes ago, vvvslaxman said:

Is there a doubt? It is Krish Srikkanth. He played that way in both Tests and ODI.  In 1983 final in his 38 he hit 7 fours and a six.

I was surprised no one mentioned Srikant . 

[Nikhil_cric]

I'm not sure about who pioneered it, but I think nobody took advantage of the first 15 overs the way jayasuriya did in 96. Although to be fair, he did not do that against the windies,OZ, SA,PAK - the best bowling attacks in the world cup.