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Rahul Dravid vs Ricky Ponting

Who is the better batsman?

  • Rahul Dravid

    Votes: 42 33.3%

  • Ricky Ponting

    Votes: 68 54.0%

  • They are for all intents and purposes equal

    Votes: 16 12.7%
  • Total voters
    126
Jono

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
I'm not trying to have a go at Gilly, I love watching him bat and have immense respect for him. I just believe that in some situations, particularly in test cricket, a gritty back-to-the walls knock from Dravid is better to watch than Gilly going nuts. Gilly has often gone nuts when Australia's back is to the wall (relatively speaking), but I think watching a batsman grit their way in tough conditions is probably my 3rd favourite thing to watch in cricket, just ahead of a fast bowler tearing through a team with the new ball, and a spinner turning a match when all seemed lost.
 
pasag

pasag

RTDAS
Jono said:
I'm not trying to have a go at Gilly, I love watching him bat and have immense respect for him. I just believe that in some situations, particularly in test cricket, a gritty back-to-the walls knock from Dravid is better to watch than Gilly going nuts. Gilly has often gone nuts when Australia's back is to the wall (relatively speaking), but I think watching a batsman grit their way in tough conditions is probably my 3rd favourite thing to watch in cricket, just ahead of a fast bowler tearing through a team with the new ball, and a spinner turning a match when all seemed lost.
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Yeah, I have to agree with Jono, for example in the latest Ashes I appreciated say a grinding Hussey innings alot more than Gilly's second fastest ever century. Obviously Gilchrist's innings was amazing, but nothing had me more enthralled than Hussey battling it out there (I think the final day of the Adelaide Tests and both Perth innings come to memory). Obviously the bowling wasn't too flash hot though. There's room for both of them in cricket though and that's why it's such an awesome sport.
 
A

Anil

Hall of Fame Member
Burgey said:
What about Gilchrist on day 5 against the Pakistan attack in only his second test when he won a match after Australia were 5 for sfa? We could rule Gavaskar out of doing that, because, with the test being played in Australia, he probably wouldn't have done very well.
These players (Gilchrist and Gavaskar included) are that good, that if they are on their game they'll perform well against virtually any attack. They have their different styles though, which makes them of different value in different situations. Sure, if you want to guts something out, you'd go with a Dravid, but if you want to punish an attack, you'd go with a Gilly. Each attribute can win you a match.
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you are kind of contradicting yourselves with your 1st and 2nd sentences, aren't you? , in any case gilchrist hasn't really proved himself against all kinds of bowling in all conditions....and that's what hb was commenting on and what i was agreeing with....so no...i don't agree with you....also i believe sunny is a far better batsman...
 
pup11

pup11

International Coach
Thats only because not many players have the natural ability like Gilly or a Viv Richards to go nuts even in a tough situation and pull it off for their sides.



But i agree watching a batsman fight for his runs is very enjoyable because it shows what a batsman is all about.


I think Clarke's knock in Adeliade test (1st innings) was an example of a batsman grafting and battling for his runs.
 
pup11

pup11

International Coach
Anil, I guess you haven't seen much of Gilchrist.

Gilchrist has scored runs in every conditions, against almost every attack of his era.



Gilchrist is easily one of the most naturally talented players to have ever played the game, and he is arguably the best no.7 in test cricket history.
 
silentstriker

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
Agreed with pup. I don't like watching batsmen, and especially big hitters, but Gilly would walk into my all time side. Richie Benaud commented that he has never seen anyone in all his time hit the ball cleaner. In my much shorter span of watching cricket, I haven't either and I believe Benaud when he says it. Definitely amazingly gifted with awesome hand-eye coordination, and an amazing batsman.

He would make a strong case for himself as a specialist batsman in the 2nd or 3rd all time XI, and with his very good keeping, he is literally unique in modern Test history.
 
A

Anil

Hall of Fame Member
pup11 said:
Anil, I guess you haven't seen much of Gilchrist.

Gilchrist has scored runs in every conditions, against almost every attack of his era.



Gilchrist is easily one of the most naturally talented players to have ever played the game, and he is arguably the best no.7 in test cricket history.
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he is certainly very naturally talented, never denied that....and i have seen enough of him....gavaskar is just a superior player....and re: your previous post, he is most definitely not at richards' level...
 
marc71178

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
pup11 said:
Shane Warne was never too effective on Indian tracks and against Indian players, but if he would have toured India now his figures would have been much better [mind you the last test series which he played in India, he produced much better results] because after coming back from the ban he evolved as a bowler.



The same could be said about Ponting, he has really evolved as a batsman and his technique against spin bowling too has improved.
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That maybe the truth, but until he proves it by performing somewhere like India, you cannot use such an argument in his favour.
 
marc71178

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
pup11 said:
Yup, Punter played a superb knock in the 3rd test during the Ashes 05, it was one of his best knocks and it completly transformed him as a batsman.



But TBH, the real heroes of the 3rd test were Binga and Pidge together they survived the last 24 balls to save the test.
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No, the real hero was the man who resisted England for pretty much the whole day under immense pressure.

24 balls is nothing compared to his knock that day.
 
marc71178

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
KaZoH0lic said:
And to be honest, I've seen plenty of gritty Gilchrist innings that showed the same resiliance as a Dravid - he just happened to do it a bit faster. Can't pop up at the top of my head, and I can't look it up because I gotta go, but I am sure others can put in an example or two.
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Convenient that.

Seen plenty, but can't recall any...
 
marc71178

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
Has he ever had to cope with top quality spin from both ends in Sri Lanka then?

If so, who was the other spin bowler he faced?
 
Salamuddin

Salamuddin

International Debutant
marc71178 said:
Has he ever had to cope with top quality spin from both ends in Sri Lanka then?

If so, who was the other spin bowler he faced?
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But when he failed in India in 2001 , he didn't face quality spin from both ends.....

I think the point the other gentleman was truing to make was that Ponting is a much improved player against spin now.
Granted he still has to prove it in India but I'd be surprised if he didn't do much better there next time.
 
pup11

pup11

International Coach
I too completly agree with SS.


Anyways Ponting took more catches than runs he scored in 01 test series in India, so surely he would perform better than that whenever he tours India next time.



Guys i was just joking about Lee and Pidge being the heroes in the 3rd test, though it was really nail-bitting stuff to see Binga and Pidge survive the last 24 balls.
 
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