Yuvraj Singh's rise

[Sanz]

As an ODI batsman Yuvraj is better than Jadeja and Azhar both and fairly close to catching up with Dravid. I agree with Dhoni, As of Now Yuvraj is India's best batsman in ODIs and the results of the game very much depend on his batting. If he performs well there is about 70-75% chance that India will win the game.

 

[silentstriker]

As an ODI batsman Yuvraj is better than Jadeja and Azhar both and fairly close to catching up with Dravid. I agree with Dhoni, As of Now Yuvraj is India's best batsman in ODIs and the results of the game very much depend on his batting. If he performs well there is about 70-75% chance that India will win the game.

Hmm, that effect may be exaggerated:

When Dhoni has scored a century, India have won 100% of their matches.*
When Tendulkar has scored a century, India have won 72.50% of their matches.
When Dravid has scored a century, India have won 66.67% of their matches.
When Yuvraj has scored a century, India have won 62.50% of their matches.


Comparing him to Azhar and Jadeja, the stats are 57.14% and 66.65% respectively. So India indeed do well when he (or anyone else) scores a century, but he doesn't really stand out amongst the crowd in that regard, and in fact the winning percentage is the second lowest amongst those measured.

In any case, I think the whole concept of a match-winner is overblown. Very few innings in history of cricket have been 'match-winning' (not even VVS Laxman's 281...that would have been a match-drawing innings if not for Harbhajan).


* He only has three centuries: 183*, 139*, 148.

 

[Jono]

You shouldn't limit it to centuries, particularly in ODI cricket. How low has Yuvraj batted on so many occasions? Its only recently he's been batting at 3 or 4.

It is quite weird, because so many of Yuvraj's brilliant knocks have come in losses, mainly centuries too. The ones I posted in my first post, and then there was his knock in Sydney back in 2004 where he made a century (and carved Ian Harvey up at the death) yet India still lost that (a little thank to the rain, and Brett Lee magic with the bat).

I still think his best knock ever was in the South Africa loss. India are 5-35, and the man tons up against Pollock, Ntini, Nel and Langeveldt all bowling superbly. What's more he did it at a strike rate of 84, and it took a run out to dismiss him.

The fact that India weren't able to defend the 249 runs has no bearing on his knock at all. Hell, if it wasn't for Yuvraj India may not have even got past 100.

 

[silentstriker]

You shouldn't limit it to centuries, particularly in ODI cricket. How low has Yuvraj batted on so many occasions? Its only recently he's been batting at 3 or 4.

It is quite weird, because so many of Yuvraj's brilliant knocks have come in losses, mainly centuries too. The ones I posted in my first post, and then there was his knock in Sydney back in 2004 where he made a century (and carved Ian Harvey up at the death) yet India still lost that (a little thank to the rain, and Brett Lee magic with the bat).

I still think his best knock ever was in the South Africa loss. India are 5-35, and the man tons up against Pollock, Ntini, Nel and Langeveldt all bowling superbly. What's more he did it at a strike rate of 84, and it took a run out to dismiss him.

The fact that India weren't able to defend the 249 runs has no bearing on his knock at all. Hell, if it wasn't for Yuvraj India may not have even got past 100.

Agreed - thats why I think the match winning aspect is overrated. Bowling matters more than batting when it comes to winning matches. I was just having a nerdgasm with some stats there to show it matters little.

 

[Sanz]

@SS, My views are based on watching Yuvraj since he first made it to the ODI team in 2000, which India won, thanks to Yuvraj's 80 something, which obviously doesn't figure in your superficial statistical analysis.

 

[Manee]

Hmm, that effect may be exaggerated:

When Dhoni has scored a century, India have won 100% of their matches.*
When Tendulkar has scored a century, India have won 72.50% of their matches.
When Dravid has scored a century, India have won 66.67% of their matches.
When Yuvraj has scored a century, India have won 62.50% of their matches.

Perhaps this means that Yuvraj is most successful under pressure. Furthermore, his hundreds would usually only come in the event of a top order collapse and so the team would be more likely to lose.

 

[silentstriker]

@SS, My views are based on watching Yuvraj since he first made it to the ODI team in 2000, which India won, thanks to Yuvraj's 80 something, which obviously doesn't figure in your superficial statistical analysis.

I apologize if my superficial statistical analysis does not include empirical evidence such as an innings you happened to watch. I once saw Yuvraj score a 50 but India lost - therefore he is not a match winner.

In any case, as I mentioned twice - the winning percentage is irrelevent as most of the innings which are considered to be 'match-winning' are decided after the innings is over and other players from your team or the opposition have had a major say in the outcome.

 

[Sanz]

What you fail to understand is when I said 70-75 % chance of India winning when Yuvraj does well, it was not a statistical analysis but my opinion based on his current form as opposed to the superficial stats of 100s.

 

[open365]

Great player to watch, i always had faith in him even when he was struggling.

I think he's India's second best ODI bat right now (behind Sachin).

 

[honestbharani]

Agreed - thats why I think the match winning aspect is overrated. Bowling matters more than batting when it comes to winning matches. I was just having a nerdgasm with some stats there to show it matters little.

Maybe in tests, but in ODIs, batters do win you matches.


And juz do a quick check on India's win percentages in the matches Yuvi has scored a 50, NOT a 100....

 

[NUFAN]

Yuvraj is a very good player. He should average over 40 in both forms of the game by the time he finishes his career.

 

[pup11]

Well i am not exactly a fan of his but there is no denying that he has done amazing well in Odi cricket for sometime now and i think he is one of cleanest hitters of the cricket ball in world cricket atm, add to that he is a superb fielder and is decent with his part-time bowling too.
Yuvraj's technique is his biggest problem though he has got the gift of sweet timing but the lack of footwork and weakness of playing balls outside off-stump away from his body make him a shaky costumer against good bowling he depends too much on hand-eye cordiination, he doesn't play spin too well either so these problems are big hurdles in his way to cement a place for himself in the test side.
But on his day he surely is a great batsman to watch!