Perm
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I don't rate either very highly in Test cricket, and with good reason. Dhoni and McCullum are both good wicket-keepers who have improved dramatically over the last few seasons, and that includes both forms of the games. However, both are very mediocre Test batsmen who have played only a few good knocks and definitely haven't proven themselves at that level.
Dhoni's entire Test batting career is built on one knock - his 148 against Pakistan back in 2006. Let's not forget that Pakistan and India both scored around 600 in their first innings, and Pakistan's second innings yielded almost 500 runs. Other than that, what has he really done? Smashed around the West Indian spinners (one of them being Chris Gayle) in his 69, notched up another decent score, 92, against England when his team made 650-odd and made another half century when his team scored 600+. He's proven himself as a flat-track bully and has really only played one top innings at Test cricket, a match-saving 76* against England at Lords. There have been a couple of other decent knocks, his first Test half-century, 51* against Sri Lanka, and a very patient 57* against Pakistan. It shows there is some talent there, but it doesn't seem as though Dhoni will be a good #7 for India at all, other than the occasional flashy knock.
McCullum's career on the other hand is pretty easy to read. His sole centuries at Test level have come against minnows, he averages in the mid twenties and he's batted in the top, middle and lower order. Do the commentators/players/fans rate him as a Test batsman? No, but they think he has potential. Maybe that's true to an extent, but he has been far too inconsistent. He has played some good knocks, but a fair amount of his fifties have come on flat decks, and he hasn't really batted well against a top class bowling line-up so far.
In ODI cricket, Dhoni is easily a better batsman and I'd like to meet somebody who honestly thinks differently. An average of over 40, very high strike rate, has played match-winning and also match-saving knocks. One of the best ODI batsman going around IMO.
Dhoni's entire Test batting career is built on one knock - his 148 against Pakistan back in 2006. Let's not forget that Pakistan and India both scored around 600 in their first innings, and Pakistan's second innings yielded almost 500 runs. Other than that, what has he really done? Smashed around the West Indian spinners (one of them being Chris Gayle) in his 69, notched up another decent score, 92, against England when his team made 650-odd and made another half century when his team scored 600+. He's proven himself as a flat-track bully and has really only played one top innings at Test cricket, a match-saving 76* against England at Lords. There have been a couple of other decent knocks, his first Test half-century, 51* against Sri Lanka, and a very patient 57* against Pakistan. It shows there is some talent there, but it doesn't seem as though Dhoni will be a good #7 for India at all, other than the occasional flashy knock.
McCullum's career on the other hand is pretty easy to read. His sole centuries at Test level have come against minnows, he averages in the mid twenties and he's batted in the top, middle and lower order. Do the commentators/players/fans rate him as a Test batsman? No, but they think he has potential. Maybe that's true to an extent, but he has been far too inconsistent. He has played some good knocks, but a fair amount of his fifties have come on flat decks, and he hasn't really batted well against a top class bowling line-up so far.
In ODI cricket, Dhoni is easily a better batsman and I'd like to meet somebody who honestly thinks differently. An average of over 40, very high strike rate, has played match-winning and also match-saving knocks. One of the best ODI batsman going around IMO.
I do it quite a bit.
