Best Bowling Attack - Tests

[subshakerz]

Kaneria and Asif are very good bowlers but neither are the best in their skills Kaneria is behind Murali and Bhajji while Asif follows Mitch & Steyn ,I like Gul but he will always remain short of world class how Aamir develops is the key here agree with Athlai too young and underdevelop to play back to back tests in a 4 man attack.

This is where I feel selection of Wahab Riaz (promising 24 yr old left armer) was important as he and Aamir could have been rotated till Aamir finally matures.

I agree on Kaneria but I feel that Asif is much more consistent and accurate bowler than Johnson has shown himself to be. Johnson has pace but hasn't established himself as the sort of consistent matchwinner that Steyn or Asif have proven to be.

 

[Xuhaib]

I agree on Kaneria but I feel that Asif is much more consistent and accurate bowler than Johnson has shown himself to be. Johnson has pace but hasn't established himself as the sort of consistent matchwinner that Steyn or Asif have proven to be.

Asif is going to struggle more then MJ on flat tracks and 80% of today pitches are flat.When the pitch is seamig around he is probably the most lethal bowler in the workd but seaming tracks are a rare commodity now days.

 

[subshakerz]

Asif is going to struggle more then MJ on flat tracks and 80% of today pitches are flat.When the pitch is seamig around he is probably the most lethal bowler in the workd but seaming tracks are a rare commodity now days.

I find this an odd comment given that almost all of Johnson's notable performances have been on wickets that offered some life. When the wicket is flat (such as it was in India last year), he looks pretty erratic. Asif you might remember won Pakistan a test series in Sri Lanka when the wickets weren't seamers.

The bottomline is that Johnson tends to splay his deliveries a bit and unless the wicket is sporting at his pace he can be carted around. I would take Asif's accuracy over Johnson's pace any day of the week, even on flat wickets. And let's be honest, the way truly dead wickets are nowadays, it doesn't matter if you are Wasim or McGrath, you are going to get a draw.

 

[Prince EWS]

Dougeh.

 

[Xuhaib]

I find this an odd comment given that almost all of Johnson's notable performances have been on wickets that offered some life. When the wicket is flat (such as it was in India last year), he looks pretty erratic. Asif you might remember won Pakistan a test series in Sri Lanka when the wickets weren't seamers.

The bottomline is that Johnson tends to splay his deliveries a bit and unless the wicket is sporting at his pace he can be carted around. I would take Asif's accuracy over Johnson's pace any day of the week, even on flat wickets. And let's be honest, the way truly dead wickets are nowadays, it doesn't matter if you are Wasim or McGrath, you are going to get a draw.

That series in Lanka was played on seaming tracks hence Asif stole the show. I agree on flat wickets these days anybody can look ordinary bu atleast with his pace Johson can still pick an odd wicket or two and use his short balls to good effect but Asif due to his 80mph trundlers can be treated like Venkatesh Prasad & Wickramasinghe.

 

[subshakerz]

That series in Lanka was played on seaming tracks hence Asif stole the show. I agree on flat wickets these days anybody can look ordinary bu atleast with his pace Johson can still pick an odd wicket or two and use his short balls to good effect but Asif due to his 80mph trundlers can be treated like Venkatesh Prasad & Wickramasinghe.

Except that Johnson hasn't displayed that ability to remain threatening on flat pitches, instead his pace and lack of control become liabilities ala Mohammad Sami (not suggesting that he is as bad, just that the problem is the same). Asif at least keeps a tight ship and can ask the occasional question of the batsman. Asif has yet to be hammered the way Johnson routinely is (except for his first test in Australia, after which he remodeled his action a bit and became a completely different bowler). The current test is a good example, the pitch is flat and Gayle is tearing Johnson apart.

 

[Shri]

Asif's accuracy is a myth imo. Take a look at his ODI record. Not a good enough average for a wicket taking bowler and not a good enough ER to be a good economical bowler. If he has a bit more pace to complement his accuracy, he could be good but is just easy pickings for set batsmen in ODIs.

 

[Prince EWS]

Asif's accuracy is a myth imo. Take a look at his ODI record.

Don't really think it proves much; Stuart Clark for example has a poor ODI record as well. Asif is tremendously accurate when it comes to bowling the perfect line and length for Tests, give or take a metre in length depending on the pitch. Unlike someone like Warne he doesn't have the ball on a string to such an extent that he can move his target area significantly, and hence he struggles in ODIs with the need for variation with batsmen swinging through the line, but as far as accuracy in proper cricket goes he's absolutely immense. I don't think anyone was suggesting he was a good ODI bowler; just that he could be a good bowler on a flat deck in a Test, which is a very very different thing.

 

[subshakerz]

Asif's accuracy is a myth imo. Take a look at his ODI record. Not a good enough average for a wicket taking bowler and not a good enough ER to be a good economical bowler. If he has a bit more pace to complement his accuracy, he could be good but is just easy pickings for set batsmen in ODIs.

Agreed in ODIs Asif gets collared pretty easily but its not uncommon nowadays for someone to be a much better test bowler than ODI bowler (look at Steyn). By the way, Johnson's ER is 4.97 and Steyn's is 5.28.

 

[Xuhaib]

Except that Johnson hasn't displayed that ability to remain threatening on flat pitches, instead his pace and lack of control become liabilities ala Mohammad Sami (not suggesting that he is as bad, just that the problem is the same). Asif at least keeps a tight ship and can ask the occasional question of the batsman. Asif has yet to be hammered the way Johnson routinely is (except for his first test in Australia, after which he remodeled his action a bit and became a completely different bowler). The current test is a good example, the pitch is flat and Gayle is tearing Johnson apart.

haha...this argument is not going anywhere.

The upcoming series will settle Asif vs Johnson. I think Mitch will outbowl Asif since we will be playing on flat (albeit bouncy) tracks.One area where Asif will do better is on a wearing day 4-5 pitch as that allows his main weapon (off cutters) to grip the surface and cut back in sharply.

 

[Xuhaib]

Asif's accuracy is a myth imo. Take a look at his ODI record. Not a good enough average for a wicket taking bowler and not a good enough ER to be a good economical bowler. If he has a bit more pace to complement his accuracy, he could be good but is just easy pickings for set batsmen in ODIs.

accuracy in odi's and tests is different.

 

[aussie]

If AUS play a 4-man pace attack of Hilfenhaus/Bollinger/Siddle/Johnson that would be the best.

 

[roseboy64]

Based on what?

 

[pasag]

Based on what?

Our God given right to be the best side in the world?

 

[R_D]

Our God given right to be the best side in the world?

Must be on something natural this aussie guy...didn't mean you by the Pasag.

 

[subshakerz]

If AUS play a 4-man pace attack of Hilfenhaus/Bollinger/Siddle/Johnson that would be the best.

Really? Even in India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan? I kinda agree with Ian Chappell, if three pacers can't get the job done, what's the point in having a fourth? Unless its a green top of course. I don't think Hauritz is that bad of a spinner...

 

[Uppercut]

haha, my for love Pakistan is well-documented but to rate them as the best bowling attack in the world is stretching credulity. Potentially they're deadly but potential never won a damn thing. Rating Saeed Ajmal as awesome is a bit premature considering he was dropped for Danish Kaneria....

Who is the best attack in the world if Pakistan aren't?

 

[Migara]

I find this an odd comment given that almost all of Johnson's notable performances have been on wickets that offered some life. When the wicket is flat (such as it was in India last year), he looks pretty erratic. Asif you might remember won Pakistan a test series in Sri Lanka when the wickets weren't seamers.

I can say that piches seamed like hell. Even Maharoof took 4 wickets on those pitches before he got injured

 

[Xuhaib]

Who is the best attack in the world if Pakistan aren't?

Aus and SA are ahead of Pakistan. Ind,Eng and a fully fit WI is also quite comparable.

 

[Migara]

On a spinning track, no.