Was virendra Sehwag an all-time great batsmen?

[Austin 3:!6]

If Minadad is a ATG. Then Sehwag definitely is

Ah are you talking about Javed Miandad? He don't have even 10K runs in test cricket. Infact none of the Pakistanis have. So much for being a legend. Srilanka started playing cricket some 40 years after Pakistan and have 2 players with 10K runs. Pakistan yet to produce one. As an attempt to hide their deficiency, they hype up mediocre players like Anwar, Inzy and Miandad as ATG's.

[Deleted_User_1]

ATG FTB, the best of the best.

[Marut]

Sehwag was an eccentric flawed batting genius!! ATG for sure, I don't know what else you would call a test opener with a batting average of 50 and a strike rate of 82 over 100 tests. Sehwag scored faster in tests than many ODI greats did in ODIs. Only those jealous of India will dare to put down Sehwag as "ordinary". He was anything but ordinary. If Sehwag got a 100 you could be sure that a match result is on and usually in India's favour.

[thongale]

So that I understand you correctly, you saying since Sehwag played in docile Indian tracks his average is inflated? Then can I ask why Gilchrist average only 28.50 in INDIA? a) Still you think scoring runs in India is easy? b) Or now you think Adam is no longer an ATG? c) Or I am confused here? :winky:

Ok, you are saying scoring in India is difficult? Yes or no? Because this will be saved for future Sanga discussions as well. Gilly played more in ENG, SAF, NZ and AUS. Are these easy tracks or difficult tracks? Let's add to the confusion. Adam is still ATG. Copping it in one or two places doesn't make them non-ATG. We can see the confusion once you answer my question.

[Austin 3:!6]

Ok, you are saying scoring in India is difficult? Yes or no? Because this will be saved for future Sanga discussions as well. Gilly played more in ENG, SAF, NZ and AUS. Are these easy tracks or difficult tracks? Let's add to the confusion. Adam is still ATG. Copping it in one or two places doesn't make them non-ATG. We can see the confusion once you answer my question.

Depends on your up bringings. If a player born in Eng/Aust and played all their life on those conditions it is easier for them to score runs their. The reason why players like Punter, Gilly and almost all English players (barring few) looks in cloud 9 when they play on turning tracks of subcontinent because they are not used to playing on the turning trackes and it takes time for adaptability. Ask any Eng/Aussie player, it gives them extra joy when they score runs in India as they are playing in an alien condition. For them Sub continent is tough place to bat. It is exactly opposite when you ask an Indian/Sl/Pak player. They are not used to play swing/bounce and invariably struggles on those pitches. Cricket is a condition sport mind you. But we have a mindset that it is easy to score runs in Sub continent. We have a dull mindset that unless you go to a white man's dungeon and score runs you will not be considered great. We have a mindset to ignore if a foreign player fails in Subcontinent. Quiet racist if you ask me. And yes, on your question - both Sanga/Jaya are greats in my eyes. Sanga being a definite ATG with jaya being SL great.

[thongale]

Well, things are nicely put in perspective. I think we can agree to a certain extent here.

[hhhhdmt]

Ah are you talking about Javed Miandad? He don't have even 10K runs in test cricket. Infact none of the Pakistanis have. So much for being a legend. Srilanka started playing cricket some 40 years after Pakistan and have 2 players with 10K runs. Pakistan yet to produce one. As an attempt to hide their deficiency, they hype up mediocre players like Anwar, Inzy and Miandad as ATG's.

Miandad mediocre? Lol, ask any neutral fan as to who the better batsmen is between Miandad and Sehwag. Miandad averaged over 50 despite playing for a long time and in a tougher bowling era than Sehwag. Thats not mediocre

[Malcolm Merlyn]

Miandad mediocre? Lol' date=' ask any neutral fan as to who the better batsmen is between Miandad and Sehwag. Miandad averaged over 50 despite playing for a long time and in a tougher bowling era than Sehwag. Thats not mediocre[/quote'] Have a look at Miandads home and away avg.

[JaFanatic]

Have a look at Miandads home and away avg.

61 & 46 in tests and 47 & 39 in odis. Doesn look like the numbers of a mediocre batsman. But yes viru is ahead of miandad in tests

[Austin 3:!6]

Miandad mediocre? Lol' date=' ask any neutral fan as to who the better batsmen is between Miandad and Sehwag. Miandad averaged over 50 despite playing for a long time and in a tougher bowling era than Sehwag. Thats not mediocre[/quote'] Answer my question please. Why didn't Javed had 10K run then? Why none of the Pak batsman have 10K run yet? A feat which 2 players of SL have achieved after started playing cricket some 40 years later. Lets not even talk about India, we have plenty.

[Marut]

Miandad was definitely more skilled compared to Sehwag. But skill is not everything in cricket, Sehwag was a much more impactful batsman and could single handed win test matches or turn around matches in a session. 10K should not be a criterion for judging a batsman's greatness. Gavaskar was the first ever batsman to make 10K (just barely) and 7000-8000 runs in 80s is as good as 10K today because they did not play as many matches they do today.

[Kumar]

at peak levels, he only comes second to Lara by a scratch IMO since watching cricket in the 90's (Test cricket), ahead of punter and sachin on that list.

[KFC_Zinger]

61 & 46 in tests and 47 & 39 in odis. Doesn look like the numbers of a mediocre batsman. But yes viru is ahead of miandad in tests

He had patriotic umpires at home...... a street smart Misbah at best

[JaFanatic]

He had patriotic umpires at home...... a street smart Misbah at best

Not just his numbers most of their stats were inflated by their biased umpirers :agree: but miandad had a decent outing in away games. He may or may not be an ATG but definitely not a mediocre batsman! Street smart Misbah ? Probably yes.

[aceofbase]

Viru made test cricket batting enjoyable..Thats why he is on most experts' favourite list..

[Muloghonto]

his overseas record is a lot better than it looks actually. he's only really failed in new zealand and those doctored pitches in the early 2000s didnt help. Even against South Africa, he has one series in South Africa where he did quite well: averaged mid 40s with 90-ish strike rate in test cricket, which is pretty phenomenal against Saffies of Donald-Pollock days. His numbers in England look worse than they are - he was averaging a healthy 42-43 in England at his astronomical strike rate before being rushed back from shoulder injury for the last 2 tests in england in 2011, where he did horribly. He has done quite excellently in West Indies and Australia, has done phenomenally well in India, Pakistan & Sri Lanka, he's done competently enough in Zimbabwe and England and only really failed in South Africa and New zealand. He's a definite ATG and IMO, the third best batsman produced by Asia, ie after Tendy and Gavaskar, in that order.

[vijay50]

Stopped watching first 20 overs of test cricket after he was dropped. All time great.Must against Pakistan even at age 45.

[thongale]

his overseas record is a lot better than it looks actually. he's only really failed in new zealand and those doctored pitches in the early 2000s didnt help. Even against South Africa, he has one series in South Africa where he did quite well: averaged mid 40s with 90-ish strike rate in test cricket, which is pretty phenomenal against Saffies of Donald-Pollock days. His numbers in England look worse than they are - he was averaging a healthy 42-43 in England at his astronomical strike rate before being rushed back from shoulder injury for the last 2 tests in england in 2011, where he did horribly. He has done quite excellently in West Indies and Australia, has done phenomenally well in India, Pakistan & Sri Lanka, he's done competently enough in Zimbabwe and England and only really failed in South Africa and New zealand. He's a definite ATG and IMO, the third best batsman produced by Asia, ie after Tendy and Gavaskar, in that order.

It's hilarious to see the same arguments used against Sangakkara being used and sometimes to apologetic levels to make look Shewag an ATG.

[Muloghonto]

It's hilarious to see the same arguments used against Sangakkara being used and sometimes to apologetic levels to make look Shewag an ATG.

Sehwag faced better attacks than Sanga and Sehwag is an opener- the threshold for openers being considered great is lesser (in terms of numbers) than that of a middle order bat. And given that Sehwag was not a specialist opener, it makes his record all the more credible. Sehwag also has more overseas tons than Sanga.

[aceofbase]

Sehwag faced better attacks than Sanga and Sehwag is an opener- the threshold for openers being considered great is lesser (in terms of numbers) than that of a middle order bat. And given that Sehwag was not a specialist opener, it makes his record all the more credible. Sehwag also has more overseas tons than Sanga.[/quote Sehwag cannot be compared to Sanga at all..Viru changed the way test cricket is played and is a genius entertainer...Sanga on the other hand is a grafter with endless patience..he is same as chanderpaul..they will tire out the opposition and score runs at the same time make it boring to watch...that is the reason they have good individual records but dont win matches for their teams..this is reflected by the test records of SL and WI..