ICC Greatest Test Team

[smash84]

Don't mind Sehwag selection its arguable but not shocking rate him ahead of Hayden,Langer,Anwar,Kirsten, Haynes,Gordon and Boycott.Hobbs and Hutton could feel aggrevied but cricketers pre 1970's unless named Sobers or Bradman get under appreciated and understandably so.

Not really easy to rate Sehwag ahead of a lot of the 90s blokes because the 90s had some fantastic bowling attacks. Sehwag became extremely good since 2007 when arguably the worst bowling attacks abound since the 60s.

Which is not to say that Sehwag is rubbish, he is pretty good mind you, but it does make the comparison a little difficult. Just as going for straight averages will see guys like Samaraweera right up there.

 

[Xuhaib]

maybe i worded it wrongly but he did swung it too much remember him missing tonnes of LB's because the ball would start from off and slide pass the leg stump on impact also had an awful lot of play and misses.

 

[GotSpin]

I actually find these AT XI teams ridiculous. Under what conditions would this hypothetical team play? Are the pitches covered, what about protective gear, modern day bats?

However, if we're to pick the team on a purely statistical basis, I don't think it's going too far to suggest Sehwag, Kapil Dev, Warne and Lara wouldn't make the cut.

 

[smash84]

yeah he did have LOTS of plays and misses. Don't think he had trouble controlling the swing though. I did think that a lot of times he was just too good for the batsman to make any contact with the ball

 

[Xuhaib]

Most of Sehwag epic knocks have come against great bowlers Shoaib,Steyn,Murali,Warne,Mcgrath unfair to say he has feasted on weaker attacks. Flat wickets? Yes but weaker attacks is a tad harsh.

 

[vcs]

Anyone who questions Sehwag's inclusion is oblivious to the following facts,willfully or otherwise!

His SR in tests since 2007 is 90. His career average is over 50 and SR is 80. That's unheard of for an opener in the whole history of the game.

He has 2 triple 100s and among the multiple triple centurions, only his triple hundred won a match for his team.

His incredible SR and voluminous scoring help his team win matches like no other opener does..

It's time for all the ole timers to brush the cobwebs,adjust their lenses and appreciate this phenomenon, for we will not see his like again!

P.S: A post from my buddy in another forum

Agree wholeheartedly. He is not without his faults, but what we are seeing from Sehwag is incredibly rare.

If Sehwag can maintain this form for a few more years I think he'd deserve his place in the AT XI. I'd have Hobbs or Hutton over him at the moment though

Agree.

 

[GotSpin]

Not really easy to rate Sehwag ahead of a lot of the 90s blokes because the 90s had some fantastic bowling attacks. Sehwag became extremely good since 2007 when arguably the worst bowling attacks abound since the 60s.

Which is not to say that Sehwag is rubbish, he is pretty good mind you, but it does make the comparison a little difficult. Just as going for straight averages will see guys like Samaraweera right up there.

That's a bit of a myth. Sehwag still had a very healthy average throughout the early 2000s.

I still think he has major issues with extra bounce due to the way he plays his offside strokes.

 

[gvenkat]

Agree wholeheartedly. He is not without his faults, but what we are seeing from Sehwag is incredibly rare.



Agree.

People here are making out a case that he should not even be there.. Which I find ridiculous and this argument of needing a solid opener like Gavaskar is flawed. I have the likes of Bradman, Gilly, Lara and Tendy to follow.. I would rather watch them play than Gavaskar blocking his way to 36 of 60 overs.

 

[weldone]

Most of Sehwag epic knocks have come against great bowlers Shoaib,Steyn,Murali,Warne,Mcgrath unfair to say he has feasted on weaker attacks. Flat wickets? Yes but weaker attacks is a tad harsh.

awta...

He's extremely dangerous against good/great pace/spin bowlers on flat pitches (and he's not lolworthy on bouncy pitches either)

 

[smash84]

People here are making out a case that he should not even be there.. Which I find ridiculous and this argument of needing a solid opener like Gavaskar is flawed. I have the likes of Bradman, Gilly, Lara and Tendy to follow.. I would rather watch them play than Gavaskar blocking his way to 36 of 60 overs.

a test match is not limited by overs

 

[smash84]

That's a bit of a myth. Sehwag still had a very healthy average throughout the early 2000s.
.

Since end of 2007 Sehwag averages 59 with a SR of 91. That is insane.

Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

Before that he average around 49. So no it is not too much of a myth

 

[vcs]

People here are making out a case that he should not even be there.. Which I find ridiculous and this argument of needing a solid opener like Gavaskar is flawed. I have the likes of Bradman, Gilly, Lara and Tendy to follow.. I would rather watch them play than Gavaskar blocking his way to 36 of 60 overs.

Now hang on there.. Sunny could play aggressively when he needed to and his style worked perfectly well in his era against elite bowling. Their styles are obviously entirely different and both have their strengths designed for their respective environments... but Sunny does have 10000 runs with 34 centuries and Sehwag isn't quite there yet.

 

[weldone]

Since end of 2007 Sehwag averages 59 with a SR of 91. That is insane.

Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

Before that he average around 49. So no it is not too much of a myth

Hang on for a sec there.

Do you know Sehwag was dropped from the team just before the 2007 WC, and worked hard on his legside game to come back in the team? His legside play has improved hugely after that. Sehwag after 2007 was as devilish in his offside play as Sehwag before 2007, endowed with a much much better legside play than before.

This has got absolutely nothing to do with quality of bowling (when we are comparing Sehwag before 2007 with Sehwag after 2007).

 

[gvenkat]

Now hang on there.. Sunny could play aggressively when he needed to and his style worked perfectly well in his era against elite bowling. Their styles are obviously entirely different and both have their strengths designed for their respective environments... but Sunny does have 10000 runs with 34 centuries and Sehwag isn't quite there yet.

Sunny was technically the perfect batter. But I would rather pay and watch Matty Hayden ahead of Sunny, Why? Because he plays more positively.

Agression, Positive and Blocking are just separated by a very thin line

 

[Cevno]

Sehwag is among the best players,if not the best i have seen on wickets where the ball is spinning and there is real uneven bounce something like the pitch in the first test against the West Indies.

On such pitches even the best of batsman against qualtiy pacers on seaming tracks can struggle to deal with bite, bowl crawling on the floor,turn etc against even lesser quality bowlers....
Playing quality pacers in swinging conditions is as or less tough than playing on such pitches. Playing pacers on swinging or bouncy track is not the be all and end all.

 

[gvenkat]

Hang on for a sec there.

Do you know Sehwag was dropped from the team just before the 2007 WC, and worked hard on his legside game to come back in the team? His legside play has improved hugely after that. Sehwag after 2007 was as devilish in his offside play as Sehwag before 2007, endowed with a much much better legside play than before.

This has got absolutely nothing to do with quality of bowling (when we are comparing Sehwag before 2007 with Sehwag after 2007).

He was not dropped from the Test team

 

[Prince EWS]

Sunny was technically the perfect batter. But I would rather pay and watch Matty Hayden ahead of Sunny, Why? Because he plays more positively.

Agression, Positive and Blocking are just separated by a very thin line

But you said it yourself though - you're picking a team to win a Test series. Not to look good or play in a style that you enjoy.

 

[Prince EWS]

He was not dropped from the Test team

Haha, yes he was, dude.

 

[vcs]

Sunny was technically the perfect batter. But I would rather pay and watch Matty Hayden ahead of Sunny, Why? Because he plays more positively.

Agression, Positive and Blocking are just separated by a very thin line

They are both fun to watch in their own way IMHO. But ultimately in Test matches it comes down to output, and how long you can sustain it for, and Gavaskar is still ahead in that respect.

 

[weldone]

He was not dropped from the Test team

Not from test squad, but from playing XI...yes, he was.