Greatest opener of the last 20 years?

[subshakerz]

IIRC Anwar pretty ****e againt Donald and Co.

Did well against them in SA in 97-98 from what I remember.

 

[Muloghonto]

For an opener, your ability against swing is far more important than against spin. Your main job is to see off the new ball. On that score, Smith is better than Sehwag, who didnt average over 30 in swinging conditions in England, SA and NZ. Smith vs. Hayden is a bit tougher though.

Smith did fail in India, but he well in Sri Lanka and against Ajmal in the UAE to remove major doubts over his ability to play spin.

playing swing is important only in swinging conditions. just as playing bounce is in bouncy conditions. the opener's job is to see off the new ball and score runs. the second part (scoring runs) is not going to happen against any side with good spinners if the opener sucks at playing spin.

 

[TNT]

For an opener, your ability against swing is far more important than against spin. Your main job is to see off the new ball. On that score, Smith is better than Sehwag, who didnt average over 30 in swinging conditions in England, SA and NZ. Smith vs. Hayden is a bit tougher though.

Smith did fail in India, but he well in Sri Lanka and against Ajmal in the UAE to remove major doubts over his ability to play spin.

Smith also failed in SA, his record there against the top teams is poor and covered by blending with the weaker teams. He only averages 25 against Australia in 21 innings in SA.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Would give a shout out to the classy Saeed Anwar. Had he played in the 2000s, would have comfortably averaged in the 50s. I could be wrong, I dont think any opener averaged more than he did in the 90s. The only problem is that he only played 45 tests, but he did as well against Donald and McGrath as he did against Warne and Murali.

John Wright actually averaged 55 in the 1990s (1990-93) and Gooch averaged 51 (90-95). They had purple patches later in their careers

All-round records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo
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In terms of the answer to the original question - I'd have to go Sehwag IMO India's greatest batsman

 

[Contra]

Sehwag's career and his batting in general has been so unconventional that using conventional methods to judge him is fairly pointless. Such a shame that he was rushed in to play those 2 test matches in England when he wasn't completely fit, but that's the kind of reputation he carried throughout his career that people would always expect that big matching winning innings from him every now and then.

 

[Second Spitter]

Mark Taylor is a really good call

Bargearse would have been dropped if he wasn't captain.

 

[paulted]

Not the greatest opener ever, but in a short career Mark Richardson has a fine record and was hard to dislodge. Good bad wicket player.

 

[ajdude]

Morne Morkel
Dhammika Prasad
Glenn Maxwell
Sachin Tendulkar
Rob Nicol
Imraan Khan
Sewnarine Chattergoon

Brenton Parchment
Rangana Herath

 

[Furball]

Anyone noticed how **** the world openers are currently btw?

Yeah I noticed that when I was doing my greatest XI, hence Dravid opening.

edit: in terms of current openers, they've got a tough job given that new ball bowling stocks worldwide are about as good as I can remember in my time watching cricket. Harris-Johnson, Anderson-Broad, Steyn-Philander and Boult-Southee is some serious quality.

 

[Spikey]

same, except change it to team of the year for the last year or two.

 

[Daemon]

Dhawan VIjay might actually be #3

Says a lot

 

[Flem274*]

Yeah I noticed that when I was doing my greatest XI, hence Dravid opening.

edit: in terms of current openers, they've got a tough job given that new ball bowling stocks worldwide are about as good as I can remember in my time watching cricket. Harris-Johnson, Anderson-Broad, Steyn-Philander and Boult-Southee is some serious quality.

junaid developing into a right royal pain too. needs a mate at the other end though.

 

[watson]

Hayden - averaged 34 in England with 1 century in 10 Tests.
Langer - averaged 30 in India and South Africa after 6 and 7 Tests respectively.
Taylor - averaged 28 against the Windies after 20 Tests, and 42 against England after 33 Tests, and during a decade of relatively poor English attacks.
Slater - averaged 28 against India after 10 Tests, and 34 in England after 10 Tests.
Sehwag - averaged 29 against England after 17 Tests.
Kirsten - averaged 25 in the West Indies over 5 Tests.
Smith - averaged 33 against Australia over 21 Tests, and mid-30s against India and Sri Lanka with zero 100s after a combined 22 Tests.
Strauss - averaged 23 against Sri Lanka over 8 Tests.
Cook - averages 38 against NZ after 11 Tests, and 36 against Pakistan after 11 Tests.
Vaughan - averaged 27 against South Africa after 17 Tests.

Verdict - not sure really

 

[Shri]

Public polls ftw. Hayden without doubt. Yeah he was owned by Donald in the 90s but when he returned he did great things against people he actually played against and I would pick him for his conversion rate alone apart from his ability to play mind games with bowlers. Intimidating bowlers by walking down the pitch, massive presence at the wicket. Really looked invincible(in a physical sense, brute force etc) at times when he got going.

 

[ImpatientLime]

Alec Stewart seriously underrated as an opener for mine.

3,348 at 45 with 8 centuries when opening for England, 6 points higher than his career average. Wasim described him as one of his toughest opponents.

Alongside Illingworth's misguided distrust of Angus Fraser, England not sticking with a world class opener in Stewart and a world class keeper in Jack Russell remain the two most god awful pieces of selection from the ECB through the 90s and my word there a lot to choose from.

 

[GuyFromLancs]

I'm surprised Justin Langer isn't in the poll.

He averaged less than Hayden, Smith and Sehwag, but didn't have any glaring weaknesses (Hayden and Sehwag) or eye-crushing aesthetics (Smith)

 

[GuyFromLancs]

My mistake, he is in the list.

Doh

 

[GuyFromLancs]

Hayden - averaged 34 in England with 1 century in 10 Tests.
Langer - averaged 30 in India and South Africa after 6 and 7 Tests respectively.
Taylor - averaged 28 against the Windies after 20 Tests, and 42 against England after 33 Tests, and during a decade of relatively poor English attacks.
Slater - averaged 28 against India after 10 Tests, and 34 in England after 10 Tests.
Sehwag - averaged 29 against England after 17 Tests.
Kirsten - averaged 25 in the West Indies over 5 Tests.
Smith - averaged 33 against Australia over 21 Tests, and mid-30s against India and Sri Lanka with zero 100s after a combined 22 Tests.
Strauss - averaged 23 against Sri Lanka over 8 Tests.
Cook - averages 38 against NZ after 11 Tests, and 36 against Pakistan after 11 Tests.
Vaughan - averages 27 against South Africa after 17 Tests.

Verdict - not sure really

Hayden a colossus in many respects, but I can't shake how exposed he was in 05.

 

[ImpatientLime]

I'm surprised Justin Langer isn't in the poll.

He averaged less than Hayden, Smith and Sehwag, but didn't have any glaring weaknesses (Hayden and Sehwag) or eye-crushing aesthetics (Smith)

I think repeatedly getting smashed in the noodle by short pitch bowling is something of a weakness.

 

[paulted]

I agree with everything you say! Added to this Stewart batted every position from 1 to 7, (his best work at number 2) whilst keeping wicket and captaining (sometimes both). Never heard him complain about his workload. Modern players take note!!!