Who is the greatest Indian batsman of all time?

[bagapath]

We know their stats. We know their achievements. We know their style. With a gun on your temple, who is the one Indian batter you will pick as the best ever in India's 80 year test history?

Is it going to be Sunil Gavaskar who showed the great fast bowlers of the world that a short subcontinental opener could take them head on?

Will it be Sachin Tendulkar who is likely to go down in history as the most prolific batsman of all time?

Will it be Rahul Dravid who has been instrumental in India's overseas triumphs in the last decade?

Or will it be Virender Sehwag who intimidates the bowlers the world over with his awesome strike rate and aggression?

 

[BlazeDragon]

Mukund

 

[honestbharani]

Ishant Sharma, tbh..



Seriously, Sachin... At various points in his career, he has done the job of all the other 3 in your options list..

 

[smash84]

After Rahul Dravid's lean patch he is once again scoring in England........

For me it is between Gavaskar and Dravid.............their performance at key moments matters a lot IMO

 

[Teja.]

Between Tendulkar and Gavaskar. Will take Tendulkar but I'd probably have Gavaskar over pretty much everyone 'cept Bradman to play at a level higher than Test Cricket.

 

[akilana]

It's annoying when Sachin not having a good time, and another batsman having a good time, people go about how Sachin is all hype and ****. Sachin has hardly had a bad series for a long time now.. Only one to stand up in SA.

on topic

Sachin
Dravid/Gavaskar.
Sehwag

 

[Cevno]

Sachin easily!! Even with the timing of the thread

 

[Lillian Thomson]

If anyone other than Tendulkar gets votes I'll be forced to hack the forum, trace the culprits and have them chased naked through the streets by dogs. The rest are great players but Tendulkar is one of only a handful of true geniuses in history.

 

[Prince EWS]

I do think Tendulkar is over-rated by some people I take seriously and many who I don't, but I still think it's reasonably clear he wins this comparison.

 

[Jarquis]

When I.opened the thread I misread Gavaskar as Gambhir. Seriously lold.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Would have to say Sachin, but Dravid is in imperious form just now. Beautiful to watch.

 

[Furball]

After Rahul Dravid's lean patch he is once again scoring in England........

For me it is between Gavaskar and Dravid.............their performance at key moments matters a lot IMO

Dravid's lean patch ended about 2 years ago.

 

[smash84]

Dravid's lean patch ended about 2 years ago.

so? he is scoring after his lean patch

 

[fredfertang]

A vote for anyone other than Sachin would be trolling wouldn't it?

So Sachin, although Gundappa Vishwanath was a seriously good batsman who deserves a mention

 

[Ikki]

Disagree. Are Gavaskar and Dravid that far off? No. Sehwag...well it depends how you rate his SR.

I'd say he is better than all of them but incomparable - to the point that it'd be trolling? Nope. I can see a decent argument for both Dravid and Gavaskar actually.

 

[smash84]

yeah.......it is ridiculous to suggest that there is so much difference in the performance of Dravid, Gavaskar, and Sachin that any comparison would be trolling

 

[honestbharani]

To elucidate my point..


Gavaskar - one man army as a batsman against quality bowling.


Sachin did this in the 90s away from home..



Dravid - Holds team together in away matches and bats long and allows stroke makers play their game.


Sachin post 2007 has been mostly like this.



Sehwag - Aggression


Sachin in the 90s at various points, mostly at home..



And apart from all this, he has been, well, Sachin.. Juz playing for so many years and still retaining the hunger and drive and the runs..


I don't think he is SO ahead of others that it is a fallacy to not vote for him. But for me, he is quite clearly the best Indian batsman ever..

 

[Cevno]

Pretty much agree with HB.
He has done pretty much what the others have done and more for longer.

Btw, Who did Joe vote for?

Laxman, Merchant, Hazare and Vishwanath are the only other ones i can think of.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Whilst I did vote for Sachin, I would rather watch Dravid bat, controversial as that may be. Just has so much time and class. For someone who's primarily a defensive batsman he has the most gorgeously deft touch.

 

[Ikki]

For me, Sehwag in terms of watching them. Flair far more watchable than textbook correctness IMO.