Virat Kohli retires from Test cricket

[New guy]

20 hours ago, putrevus said:

People need to stop bringing Sachin into every discussion. Sachin was steady eddy nothing better than that, his stats helped himself more than his team. 

 

 

Kohli is clear case of burnout playing lone warrior for decade in all three formats with full intensity.He never got over his slump.He never worked on his weaknesses either so it is his own fault.But at his peak he was more helpful to his team than Sachin ever was to his teams.

 

There is a reason why our genius Sachin never cracked even 900 ratings in either formats.

This is exactly why Kohli gets so much hate. Kohli fans have been doing this stuff since forever. 

 

I mean at this stage of his career, Sachin and Smiths numbers are identical, and you can see how much hype Smith gets.

 

And smith has only played just over half of sachins career

 

The prime reason Sachin didn't crack 900 was at his prime we barely played much tests. Particularly 5 matches series. 

 

Just check the number of test matches india played per year in sachins prime. 

 

He was playing 2 matches and sometimes 3 match series and often in different conditions. Players who get to play match series are more likely to get ratings over 900 as it's one opposition and one bowling and one condition. 

 

Sachin has played only 2 5 match series in his entire career, one as a teen and one when he was injured. 

[MechEng]

@New guy, unpopular opinion - peak Smith > peak Tendulkar and Lara

 

Peak Smith = Bradman.

Edited May 30, 2025 by MechEng

[New guy]

1 hour ago, MechEng said:

@New guy, unpopular opinion - peak Smith > peak Tendulkar and Lara

 

Peak Smith = Bradman.

What is peak smith? Which time period?

 

 

[Gollum]

29 minutes ago, New guy said:

What is peak smith? Which time period?

 

 

2014-15 BGT to 2017-18 Ashes. 39 tests, 4500 runs at average of 80, 19 100s. Multiple 500+ series and MOTS, peak rating 947. LINK

 

Though his absolute best was probably 2019 Ashes, immediately after returning from one year ban. Almost 800 runs in 3.5 tests, before that concussion. Stokes scored 440, no one else from either side even touched 400 in the entire series. Pitches were tough, that batch of Dukes was tough to face, like we saw in our 2018 tour. 

 

If not for that ban, he would have come very close to Bradman's peak rating IMO. 

Edited May 30, 2025 by Gollum

[Gollum]

Don't think anybody in future is touching Smith's 947. Ponting at 942 (2006) is closest in modern era, otherwise mostly dinosaurs from pre WW-2. 

 

Scary part is Smith's charge was cut short by a one year ban, you lose 1% points for every test missed. 

Edited May 30, 2025 by Gollum

[Gollum]

5 hours ago, New guy said:

The prime reason Sachin didn't crack 900 was at his prime we barely played much tests. Particularly 5 matches series. 

You lose points only for tests missed, not because you play less tests. Sachin did play enough 4 test series at least post 2001 including against WI. 

 

Don't remember Sanga playing any long series (SL never played 4 test series IIRC), still reached 938 and stayed on 900+ for few years in his prime. Mohd Yousuf 933 on the back of that one crazy season. Even Williamson has reached 919, and mostly plays 2 test series (you can argue he plunders weaker sides but ICC ranking points takes into account opposition strength, like chess ELO). 

 

No batsman except Bradman is flawless, including Sachin. I can also point out Smith's poor 4th innings record and stats in RSA (41 avg, only 1 100). But when you look at overall picture these guys tick most boxes. 

 

Edited May 30, 2025 by Gollum

[Gollum]

2 hours ago, MechEng said:

@New guy, unpopular opinion - peak Smith > peak Tendulkar and Lara

 

Peak Smith = Bradman.

Smith's peak is like Bobby Fischer of 1969-1972. Even if you account for ELO inflation, his run in that candidates cycle makes it the greatest 3 years peak in chess history. 6-0 against Larsen, 6-0 against Taimanov, and beating the then greatest defender Petrosian (ex world champ) 6.5-2.5 on the way. 

 

Kasparov had a great reign at the top. His 1999 season is one of the finest ever, especially his triumphs in Wijk aan Zee and Linares. But not as ruthless as Fischer's run in 1970 interzonal and candidates matches. Btw I don't consider Fischer in my top 5 players of all time, Kasparov will be in top 2 easily. 

 

All of them are great in their own ways, but my verdict changes based on 1 year peak, 3 year peak, 5 years peak, 20 years peak etc.

 

Smith scores ahead in 5 years peak, Sachin in 20 years frame, closer in 10 years frame but still Smith ahead. If you narrow it down to just one season, someone like Jimmy Amarnath will also be in conversation, check what he did in 1982-83 season in Pak and WI, not just the runs but the quality of them, his performance related to peers like Gavaskar, in an era of home umpires, against some legendary fast bowlers.

Edited May 30, 2025 by Gollum

[MechEng]

On 5/30/2025 at 9:36 PM, Gollum said:

Smith's peak is like Bobby Fischer of 1969-1972. Even if you account for ELO inflation, his run in that candidates cycle makes it the greatest 3 years peak in chess history. 6-0 against Larsen, 6-0 against Taimanov, and beating the then greatest defender Petrosian (ex world champ) 6.5-2.5 on the way. 

 

Kasparov had a great reign at the top. His 1999 season is one of the finest ever, especially his triumphs in Wijk aan Zee and Linares. But not as ruthless as Fischer's run in 1970 interzonal and candidates matches. Btw I don't consider Fischer in my top 5 players of all time, Kasparov will be in top 2 easily. 

 

All of them are great in their own ways, but my verdict changes based on 1 year peak, 3 year peak, 5 years peak, 20 years peak etc.

 

Smith scores ahead in 5 years peak, Sachin in 20 years frame, closer in 10 years frame but still Smith ahead. If you narrow it down to just one season, someone like Jimmy Amarnath will also be in conversation, check what he did in 1982-83 season in Pak and WI, not just the runs but the quality of them, his performance related to peers like Gavaskar, in an era of home umpires, against some legendary fast bowlers.

 

Dont know much about Jimmy sir but having watched Smith bat during his prime I can confirm what I've stated.

 

He completely neutralized swing/seam of Anderson/Broad through only hand-eye coordination and balance. It was so unreal that for someone who is a first time cricket follower would not be able to comprehend how hard it is to bat in England if they saw Smith in Ashes 19.

 

Although the ball was not swinging in Ashes 19 as much as it did in 2011 Pataudi Trophy, I am sure if peak Smith faced that attack in 2011 he would have still amassed at least 700 runs in 4 tests. Contrast that with peak Dravid in that series whose batting style is complex and gives you an actual indication of how hard it is to play swing.

Edited May 31, 2025 by MechEng