Placing our bets on "Test Cricket's Young Fab Four"

[OverratedSanity]

20-30 is wasting a start. Root routinely gets 70-80 which is just a decent score.

Yeah I know. I'd still take what Smith does over that.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Removing the West Indies from Smith's record tells a truer story.

So should we remove the West Indies from Smiths record but leave them in everyone else's?

tbf that might bridge the gap between them a little

 

[OverratedSanity]

it was a random point to make completely out of context in the thread, so I think you're to blame for confusing *****.

for shame

How dare people not understand my random posts though

 

[Zinzan]

Man this post makes me remember how gun all of them are. They all have great records away. Legends. So blessed to have them. Test cricket gonna be delicious with them over the next 5 years.

Lol, take a look at Williamson's breakdown against the best sides away and he average is down in the 30s. You need to look at these things in context.

 

[morgieb]

He averages 49 even after removing WI (which I don't know why you'd do, but all right)

That's still awesome.

TBF, it's a much bigger fall than the other 3. Williamson's falls to around 45, Root's is similar and Kohli's average is even better.

 

[Jono]

Yeah I know. I'd still take what Smith does over that.

Yeah.

People need to realise no one is saying Root not converting means he's performing poorly. He's just not performing as well as the best batsman in the world. Not that big a slight against him surely, its just a differentiator of #1 vs #2 or #3..

 

[Zinzan]

He played 4 ****ing innings Zinzan.. We have had this discussion before.

Would 5 make it valid?

 

[TheJediBrah]

"Against the best sides"

That also doesn't take into account that Smith and Root haven't had to face Australia or England's bowling attacks like Williamson has. Again, it's one of the reasons Lara was seen as spectacular, as he had to take on all of the worlds best bowling attacks while having a popgun attack in his side.

Root is without doubt the best young player in the world, followed by De Kock, then Smith (based on his insane ability to not get bored and keep grinding out runs) then Williamson.

Root and Williamson both are far more likely to get a start than Smith, but neither have his ability to keep batting when conditions suit and not get himself out.

I love coming on here and discovering all the new inventive reasons you come up with to try and convince yourself that Smith isn't the best in the world, I really do

 

[Jono]

Lol, take a look at Williamson's breakdown against the best sides away and he average is down in the 30s. You need to look at these things in context.

Yeah he's minnow bashed Zimbabwe, I'm well aware because it resulted in that infamous Howsie post saying Kohli sucks because he doesn't average 50 when Kane averaged 50 because of the Zimbabwe series

But Kane's got a good record overall, I really like having 4 good bats going toe to toe. We're in for a good era.

 

[Spark]

I can sort of buy Smith not being the standout best but Blocky just doesn't think he's a good batsman full stop, which renders all this argument pointless nonsense tbh. There's just no point engaging with such wilful misrepresentation of what people actually think.

 

[Blocky]

Let's see when he's had at least 8-10 tests against some of these nations, rather than 4-5 max against anyone not named England.

If he comes out of the Indian series not looking an absolute fool when his side gets rolled easily, I'll give him some credit, but so far, whenever conditions have been challenging, the best you guys can offer up is "Well he got 44* when Australia got rolled for 85" like that's some sort of amazing achievement.

 

[TheJediBrah]

TBF, it's a much bigger fall than the other 3. Williamson's falls to around 45, Root's is similar and Kohli's average is even better.

Which is all completely irrelevant anyway. Remove any player's best opposition and this will happen. If WI at home are so bad that Smith's runs don't count, then why haven't the others dominated them just as much?

 

[Zinzan]

TBF, it's a much bigger fall than the other 3. Williamson's falls to around 45, Root's is similar and Kohli's average is even better.

Yup, and remove Zim, SL & Bang as well and KW drops into the 30s.

 

[Blocky]

I can sort of buy Smith not being the standout best but Blocky just doesn't think he's a good batsman full stop, which renders all this argument pointless nonsense tbh.

I just said Smith was ahead of Williamson, what I dispute is the idea that this guy is an all time great, he's batting in an era where almost every Australian who gets in the side is scoring heavily from square one - look at Renshaw and Handscomb, flawed techniques and they're both able to start amazingly. Look at Voges, look at the resurgence of Khawaja.

 

[indiaholic]

Would 5 make it valid?

It is not a valid sample size to deduce anything. Kohli had 4 bad innings too and then had one very good one. My point is that you should be agnostic about this. Don't be so convinced either way based on this.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I can sort of buy Smith not being the standout best but Blocky just doesn't think he's a good batsman full stop, which renders all this argument pointless nonsense tbh.

At this stage I can't even do this tbh

Maybe a year ago it was too close to call but he is pretty comfortably the best right now

 

[Blocky]

Starc just spanked 84 and made it look easy... Starc for ****s sake. Warner looks in the worst form of his life and knocked 130 out of this attack.

Where was Smith in Sri Lanka? Where was Smith against South Africa? Where will Smith be against India.

He won't be doing what Root has done, that's for sure.

 

[Spark]

At this stage I can't even do this tbh

Maybe a year ago it was too close to call but he is pretty comfortably the best right now

I bag on Root a lot tbh but I'd probably pick him if I had a one-innings-to-bat-for-my-life pick.

It'd be Russian Roulette, mind you.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I just said Smith was ahead of Williamson, what I dispute is the idea that this guy is an all time great, he's batting in an era where almost every Australian who gets in the side is scoring heavily from square one - look at Renshaw and Handscomb, flawed techniques and they're both able to start amazingly. Look at Voges, look at the resurgence of Khawaja.

This is not about their home records. Voges has failed in England in SL. Warner was shite in SL, NZ and England.

Smith has literally not had a bad overseas series since he came good back in 2013/14.

 

[Jono]

I can sort of buy Smith not being the standout best but Blocky just doesn't think he's a good batsman full stop, which renders all this argument pointless nonsense tbh. There's just no point engaging with such wilful misrepresentation of what people actually think.

yeah its very CW now. Stat picking etc. which isn't in itself bad, but its two heads banging against each other.

There is 0% chance of changing Blocky's mind it seems.