For Aussie fans: Name your most feared opposition XI

[Predator_05]

Tendulkar's record against Australia is almost unparalleled. To find players who have done better against Australia, you would have to go all the way back to the 50's, 60's, 70's and the pre-WW2 era (Edrich, Hobbs, Hutton, Barrington, Hammond etc). The only modern day batsman who can come close to Tendulkars' 2500 runs at 55 with 9 hundreds and 11 fifties is Lara, and even though the West Indian genius played some of his best innings against them, some of the biggest low lights of his career were also against Australia. He had three average series against them in 1996/7, 2000/1 and 2005/6. After WI got drubbed in '01, he even considered quitting the game. Tendulkar on the other hand, only had 1 forgettable series against Australia, and that was during India's tour in 2003/4, when he wasn't scoring until that double hundred at Sydney. That's one average series compared to Lara's 3, and in every other series he plundered runs, no matter how good or bad his form was. Relatively speaking, that wasn't a low light of Tendulkar's career either like the '01 series was for Lara. The thing is, no matter what condition he was in, he would always score against Australia - it was something you could bet your money on without hesitation. He came back early from an elbow injury to help India win a test in Mumbai back in '04, and after enduring a barren run of form in two seasons he looked a completely different player in Australia, scoring two 150's and 500 runs overall. At his best, he was instrumental in winning India two series against AUS - '98 was won off his bat, and even in '01, it was Tendulkar who set up India's win at Chennai with a glorious 126 which took India past Australia's first innings score of 397. So there you go. Leaving out Tendulkar for a team facing Australia is like leaving out Gavaskar for a team facing WI. Sacrilege indeed. My team; 1. Vaughan - this guy has a fantastic record against AUS and his batting against them in '03 was out of this world 2. Sehwag - has played some outrageously good innings against Australia in different circumstances 3. Tendulkar - i already gave my reaosns, but no explanation should be required anyway 4. Lara - Aussie basher in chief, behind Tendulkar 5. Laxman - no explanation required 6. Thorpe - England's biggest tower of resistance against Australia in the 90's, always a prized wicket for them 7. Sangakkara - not many to choose from here, best of the lot even though he might be batting too low. 8. Kumble - won India many a match against Australia, who can forget that 7-35 at Chennai 9. Harbhajan - has humiliated some of their best batsmen on more than one occasion, always a match winner against AUS 10. Ambrose - legendary Aussie killer 11. Shoaib Akhtar - bowled some terrifying spells against Australia and they were never comfortable facing him

[Mr. Wicket]

Agree for the most part with that lineup Pred. I considered both Thorpey and Showhaibh the Phaasht Boiler, but plumped for Akram as he had the overall better record/greater consistency, even though he didn't have the same lethal one or two spells. As for picking Flintoff over Thorpe - reckoned Flintoff's wicket was just as prized after the 05 Ashes (where he played some absolutely crucial innings in the 2 tests that were won - who can forget the assault in the last wicket partnership at Edgbaston when he was batting on painkillers and still clouting Lee out of the ground), and he could also rough up the Aussie batsmen like few others. IMO Flintoff at his best produced some of the finest bowling displays v. the Aussies this decade - hence why I opted for him over Thorpe (who I'd have as a reserve bat).

[ludhianvi]

Apparently, Harbhajan's record in Australia isnt good at all, its dismal. If I recall correctly, he has only played a handful of tests there when he was having problem with his injured finger. So that may go in his defence. Correct me if you may, as the memories are a bit foggy. But in India, he is a MONSTER against the Aussies.

[Donny]

One post from an Aussie fan. 21 from others - or is Salil secretly an Oz fan ?. For Aussie fans. Doesn't anyone read topic headings anymore ?? Salil, well thought out but there are a few queries I have - just as a cricket fan. Lindsay feared ?? Laxman, Peter May, Bob Willis, Michael Vaughan, Crowe, Majid etc. feared ? Respected maybe but never feared. In fact, it's not in the Aussie makeup to 'fear' any opposition. Two possible exceptions could be: Young Aussie batsmen facing the Windies tornados and Larwood in the Bodyline Ashes.

[bharat297]

Feared for an Aussie fan ... maybe not for an Aussie player. Like a player who for an Aussie fan had them worrying that he was gonna make a big score against you guys.

[Donny]

That's what I was referring to. Aussie fans were very concerned for the young Don Bradman (and others) in the Bodyline series and any of the inexperienced batsmen having to face the Windies quicks.

[bharat297]

Yea ? So? Put them in youre line up if you want. By feared it doesnt necessarily mean fearing for their physical safety, but its more of a fear that they will do well against you.

[bharat297]

Apologies for the duplicate post ... bloody firefox is screwing up again.

[Mr. Wicket]

One post from an Aussie fan. 21 from others - or is Salil secretly an Oz fan ?

NSW first, then Aus. But both after Bombay. (Although I haven't made that very secret on here) In terms of the title, I'd agree that there were very few opponents who were genuinely feared, or for that matter really posed severe concerns to Australia. Possibly Flintoff in 05 (at least after the halfway mark of the series after some explosive knocks and those brilliant spells with a reversing ball), Harbhajan by the end of the 01 series, Tendulkar for a good part (especially 98), Ambrose and of course Botham and Laxman. Boycott probably didn't terrify Australia - but just sickened them by his long, long presence at the crease. My XIs are more indications of the top performers v. Aus in those eras - as it'd be hard to come up even with a list of players who were genuinely feared by Aus cricketers. Although I probably should replace either Fazal Mahmood or Alec Bedser with Typhoon Tyson, who was one of the few to really rough up Aussie players and have them sweating and struggling. While most of those (as I said) didn't really strike fear into Aus, the majority of the players could leave Australia - or any other side - clueless once they really got into their groove. The footage I've seen of Sobers hitting Lillee around the park is stunning. Australia were completely clueless then - no matter what was done, be it bowling changes, length/line changes, field changes, Sobers made them look helpless. Kanhai, Hadlee (with the ball, and the odd helpful hook from Hilditch), Richards and Crowe were in the same mould.

[Donny]

Yea ? So? Put them in youre line up if you want.

My lineup ? Perhaps it's the case all Indians are fans of their national team. That's not the case in Oz. Two of the founding members of AussieCricket.net are Windies' fans plus we have migrants from many countries who remain faithful to their country of origin - re. cricket. Some - me, for instance - just love cricket. :regular_smile:

[bharat297]

Ok thats cool.

[Donny]

NSW first, then Aus. But both after Bombay. (Although I haven't made that very secret on here) In terms of the title, I'd agree that there were very few opponents who were genuinely feared, or for that matter really posed severe concerns to Australia. Possibly Flintoff in 05 (at least after the halfway mark of the series after some explosive knocks and those brilliant spells with a reversing ball), Harbhajan by the end of the 01 series, Tendulkar for a good part (especially 98), Ambrose and of course Botham and Laxman. Boycott probably didn't terrify Australia - but just sickened them by his long, long presence at the crease. My XIs are more indications of the top performers v. Aus in those eras - as it'd be hard to come up even with a list of players who were genuinely feared by Aus cricketers. Although I probably should replace either Fazal Mahmood or Alec Bedser with Typhoon Tyson, who was one of the few to really rough up Aussie players and have them sweating and struggling. While most of those (as I said) didn't really strike fear into Aus, the majority of the players could leave Australia - or any other side - clueless once they really got into their groove. The footage I've seen of Sobers hitting Lillee around the park is stunning. Australia were completely clueless then - no matter what was done, be it bowling changes, length/line changes, field changes, Sobers made them look helpless. Kanhai, Hadlee (with the ball, and the odd helpful hook from Hilditch), Richards and Crowe were in the same mould.

I don't really relate to this fear factor but from a point of view of respect, that Sobers innings of 254 against the Aussies in the second innings at Melbourne in the unofficial Test series between Australia and Rest of the World was truly fantastic! Dennis Lillee had shattered the RotW batting in the first innings with 8/29. I'll ask Sir Garry to take up the story: ``After I was able to hit the first few deliveries from him I knew it was going to be a special day. Whatever he bowled, went for four. ``In the next 4 to 5 hours, it was only trouble for him. After I got out and was walking back, he looked at me and said `I had heard about you. Now I know you.' That's the thing about it. Since then, Dennis and I have been the best of mates,'' said Sobers about the match played in 1970-71. ``I know Sir Donald Bradman rated it as the best innings by a visiting batsman in Australia. I too rated it high but I have never considered it my best knock. Somehow you feel the best knock has to come in a contest between two countries,'' he said. ``The first time I played against him I was batting at number seven for some reason. I remember walking in and watched Rodney Marsh stand so back, almost near the boundary line. ``Even the slips were a good 20-25 yards away. As I walked in, I asked Ian Chappell what it was all about. He said I would soon find out.'' ``I remember the first delivery was a short one and even as I was preparing to lift my bat, it had whizzed past my ear and Marsh was collecting it head high. Soon enough I had edged him to the slips,'' Sobers said. ``As Lillee kept bouncing me I said I was also going to test him with a few short ones when he comes in to bat. Tony Greig, who has an elephant's memory, egged me on to bowl a few short ones at him.'' ``Now I bowled a few full length deliveries to him and he came forward and played them elegantly down the pitch. ``Then I let go a short one. It screamed past him and he was pink in the face. A few deliveries later he had slogged me into Greig's hands,'' Sobers recollected. ``I was told later that Lillee, no sooner than he had entered the dressing room, violently threw his bat to a corner. He is said to have uttered that I would be facing some real scary stuff from him.'' When Rest began its batting ``Sunny Gavaskar opened the innings and the first delivery zipped past his head. A lot of our guys in the dressing room had started to look at each other and wanted to change their batting order,'' Sobers said laughing. ----------------------------------------------------- That was the best batting I've seen in over 50 years of following big time cricket with perhaps BCL (at his best) and Graeme Pollock next.

[Predator_05]

You don't think Laxman was feared ? At his zenith in '04, the Australians admitted that they had no idea how to bowl to him. Guys like Gilchrist openly voiced their astonishment at how an amazing player like him wasn't able to make the Indian XI in ODIs. I'd say he was feared more than anyone in the Indian batting lineup bar Tendulkar. Whenever he got a start, there was no way to stop him. The most recent example being Sydney, when he walked in and effortlessly hit boundary after boundary while Dravid scratched around at the other end. Same thing happened in the '01 series. You can't say a player like that wasn't feared.

[Mr. Wicket]

Steve Waugh once said: "If you get Laxman out, it's a miracle" That says enough.

[Donny]

You can't say a player like that wasn't feared.

I can, Preds, and for good reason. After his match winning 280 odd, he gained great respect but has only come mildly close to repeating that against the Aussies, since. Amongst another couple of good knocks (only one in an Indian win), we find scores of 32, 19, 18, 31, 3, 4, 13, 2, 1, 26, 42, 27, 12 and in this series, 0, 42* & 12 - hardly figures to instill fear. Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman is capable of sublime strokes but a batsman with a Test average in the low 40s is not feared by oppositions. I'd rate him quite similar to Mark Waugh.

[DomainK]

Apart from Tendulkar, Laxman is the only other batsman that the Australians have admitted to be scared of. That 2001 innings was one of the most shocking innings for the Aussies. After winning 16 games and after beating India in the first match and then having India follow on in the second, they could not expect India to come back and win it even in the wildest of their dreams. That knock was a fearful one for sure.

[Donny]

Where has this been admitted ? They are scared of neither - especially VVS.

[SachDan]

Where has this been admitted ? They are scared of neither - especially VVS.

Donny, you forgot the news of nightmares Shane Warne had??:giggle:

[Shane]

Donny' date=' you forgot the news of nightmares Shane Warne had??:giggle:[/quote'] I think we need to reframe the Thread Title to "Name your most respected opposition XI" we mght then get a fair idea of whom they hate facing !!! ""it's not in the Aussie makeup to 'fear' any opposition"" Yaaa Riteee :hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

[Donny]

Donny' date=' you forgot the news of nightmares Shane Warne had??:giggle:[/quote'] My comment was in reply to a post referring to SRT & VVS. Not SKW. :regular_smile: