vic_orthdox
Global Moderator
England have historically had a pretty decent record against Clarke, haven't they?
-
Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.
Clarke in the Aussie batting pantheon
- Thread starter OverratedSanity
- Start date
flibbertyjibber
Request Your Custom Title Now!
Yeah which is why the rest are ranked above him really as they butchered us loads. Other than Perth we see very little of your home tests as they just the wrong time. A session at most be it first or last depending on other things going on.
Nah, was a bit of a crap word already.
Fuller Pilch
Hall of Fame Member
Allan Border averaged 56.5 away from Australia in the era of the greatest fast bowling of all time. Clarke averages 42 away from Aus in era of bowling mediocrity with conditions that greatly favour batsmen.
I know Clarke has played some great knocks away from home, but his record is a little too Jawardene/Jimmy Andersonesque if you ask me.
I know Clarke has played some great knocks away from home, but his record is a little too Jawardene/Jimmy Andersonesque if you ask me.
adub
International Captain
I'd certainly rate Clarke below Chappell, Ponting, Border and Waugh, but even Ponting in his absolute pomp didn't have the flick it to God Mode switch that Clarke has. Probably only Lara of the guys I've seen compares as a guy who could just treat good bowlers like backyard cricketers when he was in the zone. All the greats obviously look amazing when they're on song, but Clarke and Lara for mine are just playing another game when it clicks. Doesn't matter what you bowl, they treat it with undisguised contempt.
So definitely top 10 all time for me, but not as balanced a record or done in not quite as tough circumstances as a few others to be in the top 5.
Briony
International Debutant
Yes but the pitches were flat and other batsmen were taking them apart too. Good effort but not necessarily the measuring stick. Warner and Hussey treated the bowlers with disdain and remember that Tahir was bowling a lot of rubbish that day.
OverratedSanity
Request Your Custom Title Now!
Capetown 2011
Briony
International Debutant
I was mainly referring to Adelaide. One thing that detracts from Clarke's record is his tendency to struggle higher up the order. The likes of Punter and Greg Chappell excelled coming in earlier.
Also with Morkel making him look like such a nervous novice in that spell when he stupidly just bowled unrelentingly short it would be interesting to see how he would have fared against the great West Indian quicks. He has played at a time when the Caribbean has barely produced a paceman of note.
Last edited:
Teja.
Global Moderator
Sehwag. He did it more often than Clarke and to a monstrous degree too. He obviously had his game exposed far more often but Sehwag handed far more true ass-whoopings in sheer SR/relentless attack terms.
adub
International Captain
Nah, Sehwag (and Gayle to a lesser extent) is something different to what I'm talking about. Brutal versus clinical I suppose. Sehwag is mayhem, Lara and Clarke, artistry. When Sehwag was going the opposition's frustration would be that the prick was getting away with insanity - it just wouldn't be fair that one of those audacious shots wasn't going to hand. It certainly wouldn't be fair to call Sehwag lucky, but he was able to get away with a very high risk game.
When Lara and Clarke are in the zone the frustration is simply that they are playing the game at another level. The shots might be audacious, but not risky. It's just that they were too good for mere mortals that day and so expressed themselves to the fullest. After one of their great innings you would feel that you had just seen the art of batting at it's highest, purest, most sublime possible form. You might feel a lot of things after a Sehwag mauling, but never that.
When Lara and Clarke are in the zone the frustration is simply that they are playing the game at another level. The shots might be audacious, but not risky. It's just that they were too good for mere mortals that day and so expressed themselves to the fullest. After one of their great innings you would feel that you had just seen the art of batting at it's highest, purest, most sublime possible form. You might feel a lot of things after a Sehwag mauling, but never that.
vic_orthdox
Global Moderator
Lara is on another complete different level to Clarke in that respect, IMO.
vic_orthdox
Global Moderator
Yeah, reckon you're right actually.
Red
The normal awards that everyone else has
Better captain than Border IMO. Basically on par as a batsman.
BeeGee
International Captain
You have got to be joking.
When AB took over as captain he inherited one of the worst, dysfunctional Australian test teams in history. When he retired it was one of the all time great Australian teams. I cannot emphasize enough the enormous contribution Border made to Australian cricket. Just huge.
Red
The normal awards that everyone else has
I don't doubt Border was great, but I do think some of that stuff is a bit overblown. Really, how much of the change that happened under Border was just a result of the natural changing of the guard in the team, and him playing across two separate eras, one that had been shattered by WSC and rebel tours etc, and one where new players came into the team who wanted to play test cricket for Aus, as opposed to anything Border actually did?
Clarke is, in my eyes, the best on field captain I've seen. Tactically very good, and everything he does works.
adub
International Captain
Bit early for people to be saying Clarke's captaincy isn't up there with AB yet. He also inherited a side on the slide and last summer showed some good signs that we're getting back towards the top (still need to produce more away from home, but another series win in SA is a great start). It could very well be that in a couple of years time Clarke will be handing over a truly great side to his successor.
As for best on field though I still think Tubby shades him, but not by much.
As for best on field though I still think Tubby shades him, but not by much.