Dhoni Vs Gilchrist in ODIs.

[honestbharani]

It's not really a fair comparison because ODI batting is defined by your role, and these two have very different roles in their sides. It's certainly not "no contest."

In terms of an ODI XI, it'll be decided by who else you want because you can then pick whether you need your keeper to open or finish. It's certainly not "no contest." Lately, I've been leaning towards Dhoni because I want to open with Tendulkar and Jayasuria.

I actually liked the idea of having my side go:


Sachin
Lara
Richards
Ponting
Bevan
Dhoni (wk)
Pollock
Warne
Wasim
McGrath
Murali

 

[Himannv]

I reckon its Gilchrist. I think Dhoni has the ability to be better but seems like he holds himself back, specially after taking up the captaincy.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Hard to say on the back of stats, as Gilchrist's average doesn't really reflect how important and vital a player he was. Lets say he was opening the batting with Hayden or Mark Waugh, I'm pretty sure that every side would have rather had Gilly out before the 5th over than his partner. Same sort of thing with Jayasuriya, to be fair. But Gilchrist did have a great record in big games.

But Dhoni just gets the job done, so regularly. He's so flexible, can come in anywhere between 3 and 8 and win the game, not necessarily single-handedly, but he does what is required to win a game of cricket for his team.

If I was pressed, I'd probably pick Gilchrist, not because I think he is that much better or anything, but I like the idea of having a keeper-opener, who is that explosive, because it opens up other options down the order, in terms of all-rounders at 7 and that sort of thing to fulfil the five overs. Makes it easier to choose a genuine all-rounder that can bat 7.

 

[Cevno]

Although Zaheer Abbas in all all time ODI 11 is laughable when you bring other players into th equation.He won't make it a Pakistan ODI all time-11,let alone a world all time-11.

Eh?

He was a pretty good ODI player and his numbers are close to Viv Richards.

I think you are doing Abbas a bit of disservice here.

Don't know why Pakistan fans generally don't rate him highly.
Maybe it is down to some of his antics or of field activites after he retired?

 

[Blaze 18]

Zaheer would probably make a list of the ten best ODI batsmen of all time (or at least be close to make it).

 

[Cevno]

If you take Captaincy into account then Dhoni ,but Otherwise I would have Gilchrist.

Statistics may not do Gilchrist justice ,but he played some of his cricket in a lower averaging period and was something else when he got going and really explosive on the big stages.

But one think i don't understand is pople saying in this thread that he was a better wicketkeeper than Dhoni?
Seriously both Dhoni's keeping and his value as a ODI cricketer is underrated in CW.

 

[Furball]

It's a pretty redundant comparison IMO, given that they play(ed) vastly differing roles in their sides, and they're both amongst the best there's ever been in their position.

It's like comparing Makelele and Zidane because they're both French and midfielders.

 

[Jono]

Also the fact that Dhoni may have 5-7 years more cricket in him.

 

[Furball]

If you take Captaincy into account then Dhoni ,but Otherwise I would have Gilchrist.

Statistics may not do Gilchrist justice ,but he played some of his cricket in a lower averaging period and was something else when he got going and really explosive on the big stages.

But one think i don't understand is pople saying in this thread that he was a better wicketkeeper than Dhoni?
Seriously both Dhoni's keeping and his value as a ODI cricketer is underrated in CW.

Tbh, I think they do.

When it comes to openers in ODIs, there's a pretty obvious statistical trend amongst them - the higher your average, the lower your SR. Only 3 batsmen in the history of the game have combined a 40+ average with an 80+ SR iirc.

Fast scoring openers - your Jayasuriyas, Gilchrists and Sehwags - will average mid 30s, which is a fine average for an opener provided they're striking at 90+.

It's also why Tendulkar stands alone as the greatest opener of all time - because he strikes at roughly 89 whilst maintaining an average of 48. He's the only opener who successfully combined managing to consistently score big with scoring quickly.

 

[kingpin]

Actually Dhoni Have an impressive record at positions @ 1,2 and 3

 

[ankitj]

I reckon its Gilchrist. I think Dhoni has the ability to be better but seems like he holds himself back, specially after taking up the captaincy.

This is kind of true. He is already awesome but can be even better. He should look to come in around the 25th over but often enters too late.

 

[vcs]

If you take Captaincy into account then Dhoni ,but Otherwise I would have Gilchrist.

Statistics may not do Gilchrist justice ,but he played some of his cricket in a lower averaging period and was something else when he got going and really explosive on the big stages.

But one think i don't understand is pople saying in this thread that he was a better wicketkeeper than Dhoni?
Seriously both Dhoni's keeping and his value as a ODI cricketer is underrated in CW.

Dhoni's keeping to spin is more and more impressive when I watch him these days. He's lightning quick at effecting stumpings, and also very rarely drops edges while standing up to the spinners.

 

[Spark]

ODI stats have to be taken into context... big batting averages in the middle order aren't unheard of but don't necessarily reflect the quality of the batsman compared to an opener.

 

[Turbinator]

Contest. Dhoni.

 

[Bun]

think sum of the voters erroneously thought we are comparing them overall, because to my mind dhoni is better than gilly in odis by a fair enough margin, which holds exactly opposite when it comes to tests.

geez, we are comparing an avg of 35 with 48, okay there are the not outs of course, but dhoni's versatility nullifies it as often he has had to act as crisis man.

not as if dhoni has done badly in the top order as well.

and when it comes to world cups, which I believe was one criticism agnst shoni, he erased that wil one of the best odi innings under pressure while chasing in the recent final.

and then there is captaincy.

msd's wk maynot be flash, but pretty sure he's done a very gud job overall. not as if he is a bat who keeps or anything like that.

taking nuthin away from gilly, he's as good an opener you can hope for. he is massively destructive but when dhoni gets going he too can be exactly if not more destructive. the only thing preventing dhoni from that is there are guys like raina, sehwag, yuvraj, kohli who can play like that and he can play the middle order glue who holds them together. it's a defined role which dhoni adapted himself to rather than slotted into.

gilly never really had the pressure to lay a diff game than his natural game.

 

[Bun]

ODI stats have to be taken into context... big batting averages in the middle order aren't unheard of but don't necessarily reflect the quality of the batsman compared to an opener.

oh come on.

if u treat all shoni's not outs as dismissals, he'd still average 36.4 which is better than gilly's career avg.

 

[Spark]

That's true, but Michael Hussey averages 50+. Michael Clarke averages about 44. Is that a fair representation of their quality as ODI players?

 

[TumTum]

You can't really compare these two players as because others have mentioned they are completely different.

For batting wise, I have never really been that impressed by Dhoni and Gilly is in a totally different league, even at this current time btw.

Wicket keeping wise, I reckon they are both awesome.

Captaincy wise, although Gilly has been a great leader in the IPL, MsD has as well but proven himself in all formats of the game (although he gets criticized for being defensive sometimes).

That was rather easy, but putting them together is the hard part.

 

[Bun]

That's true, but Michael Hussey averages 50+. Michael Clarke averages about 44. Is that a fair representation of their quality as ODI players?

We are comparing Gilly and Dhoni here... what has Clarke and Hussey got to do in this?

If you say so, we have openers and top order batsmen like KP, Tendulkar (okay he's the best), Trott, Amla etc averaging much more than Gilly used to despite batting at positions 1-3, so what makes Gilly's case so exceptional?

Dhoni scores more runs per innings regardless of the diff in their positions every time. That alone should clinch the case in his favor, not to mention all the right ticks. Seriously what does Dhoni have to do more to be considered better than Gilchrist in this format, i dunno.

 

[benchmark00]

I think it's a given that it's easier to bat during the middle overs of one day cricket. There is hardly any fielding pressure on, unless there's been a dramatic collapse at the top, and the fielding side take the opportunity to put the field back and get through as many overs as possible. It's a stage where there's an unspoken agreement between teams almost, 'you don't hit us for boundaries and we won't try and get you out'.

That's not to cheapen Dhoni's achievements or record, it's just a fact.