The Steven Smith Question

[h_hurricane]

That match where Broad took 8/15? Think Root tonned up on the same day

A very good innings but the ascendancy was very much set by Broad. May be I put it the wrong way, it is a different case when your team is down in the dumps and then some one turns up and does what Smith did yesterday and Kohli did a year back in Edgbaston.

Root is pretty much a batsman who would have done well in any era, has the game to excel everywhere but lacks that extra which would make him the best in the world.

 

[Burgey]

Is the stick the papers have given him as bad as the Aussie press gave Broad in 2013?

Far worse. By orders of magnitude. And his employer hung him out to dry with it. Deplorable

 

[Burgey]

I've thought he might decline earlier rather than later, something that players with less conventional styles seem to do. Be much harder hitting through square leg off middle stump when the reflexes slow a bit. I think the stupid year took a chunk out his very best.

I reckon he’ll just change his set up. He decided to use the current one in the middle of a test match, which is itself unbelievable. He’ll probably just go back to being still and playing straighter.

 

[h_hurricane]

Hypothetically if we assume Smith goes through a decline and averages 40 for the next 100 innings(don't think Aus would put up with that kind of decline for that long though). He would still be averaging 51+ from around 220 innings.

 

[trundler]

They'd take a 40 average batsman with both hands. Look at Head, Wade and the rest. Uninspiring.

Also, Root's 100 in SL last year was series defining.

 

[trundler]

If Bradman was worth 3 Australian batsmen in his day (which he was according to Bill Woodful and stats) then Smith is worth 2.

 

[stephen]

Simpson
Hayden
Bradman
Smith
Waugh
Border
Gilchrist
Warne
Davidson
Lillee
McGrath

 

[Bijed]

They'd take a 40 average batsman with both hands. Look at Head, Wade and the rest. Uninspiring.

Yeah, and moreover you don't bin someone for averaging a perfectly acceptable 40 for a few years just because they were previously averaging a lot higher

 

[h_hurricane]

Yeah, and moreover you don't bin someone for averaging a perfectly acceptable 40 for a few years just because they were previously averaging a lot higher

This is a very good point. I was talking about a 100 innings though. This could take 6-7 years and 40 avg may be a tad below par for that long if a fresh set of promising batsmen come through.

 

[Coronis]

Simpson
Hayden
Bradman
Smith
Waugh
Border
Gilchrist
Warne
Davidson
Lillee
McGrath

**** me how do you ever bowl out that middle order

 

[flibbertyjibber]

**** me how do you ever bowl out that middle order

Hard enough getting past the openers for a start. Gilchrist would never bat.

 

[stephen]

It would be completely punishing for the bowling side, that's for sure.

 

[stephen]

Can you imagine a partnership between Bradman and Smith. Border would have to declare on them every match just so there was enough time to bowl the other side out.

 

[Slifer]

Simpson
Hayden
Bradman
Smith
Waugh
Border
Gilchrist
Warne
Davidson
Lillee
McGrath

Left overs xi

Ponsford
Lawry
Ponting*
Chappell
Harvey
Hussey
Miller
Healey+
Lindwall
Harris
O'Reilly

 

[trundler]

Ponsford
Morris
Ponting
Chappell
Trumper
Miller 2
Benaud 5
Oldfield+
Lindwall 1
Harris 3
O'Reilly 4


#BatDeep

 

[andruid]

Simpson
Hayden
Bradman
Smith
Waugh
Border
Gilchrist
Warne
Davidson
Lillee
McGrath

Can you imagine laboring past any three of Bradman, Waugh, Smith and Border, then Gilchrist comes to the crease?

 

[Shri]

He's an outstandingly focused and mentally strong batsman who makes the most of every inch of his abilities. I can't see how any other conclusion can be drawn. The dead track argument is so flawed it's ridiculous, because he's scored big runs on low-scoring decks and also, no else else is averaging 60 during the same era. And who gives a **** how he looks doing it. There's obviously some sort of technical efficiency in there somewhere.

his ton at pune was up there with any innings by dravid or tendulkar in the 90s tbh

 

[stephen]

Can you imagine laboring past any three of Bradman, Waugh, Smith and Border, then Gilchrist comes to the crease?

Would be totally demoralizing for the other side. Would make for a great spectacle though, especially if the other side was:

Greenidge
Haynes
Lara
Richards
Sobers
Worrell*
Dujon+
Marshall
Holding
Gibbs
Ambrose

 

[GIMH]

A very good innings but the ascendancy was very much set by Broad. May be I put it the wrong way, it is a different case when your team is down in the dumps and then some one turns up and does what Smith did yesterday and Kohli did a year back in Edgbaston.

Root is pretty much a batsman who would have done well in any era, has the game to excel everywhere but lacks that extra which would make him the best in the world.

Root’s 2015 Ashes was something else but I would agree it falls short of what we are talking about in reference to Smith.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Burns makes Smith innings look not as good all of a sudden.