Smith v Kohli (test match batting)

[the big bambino]

Bloke says cricket analysis is infantile then goes on to praise a system that ranks Siddle ahead of Lillee amongst other"controversial" rankings. I wonder if allowing for so called different conditions for men playing in the same era would make good the discrepancy between their averages. Especially when the goal of this supposedly sophisticated analysis is to provide the justification for a fanboi to try and explain away a 10 to 11 points disadvantage for their favoured player.

 

[TheJediBrah]

It is very easy to calculate, as he already pointed out. Just wait for PEWS to do an update.

you see the pretty big assumption there though

 

[Lillian Thomson]

If PEWS can come up an equation that factors in the immense pressure Smith was under after 12 months off and the circumstances surrounding it he'll make Pythagoras look like an amateur.

 

[Daemon]

Kohli is better imo. So easy for fans to forget that before the Ashes, Smith hadn't scored a single run for a year.

 

[Gob]

Amazing thing about Smith is not just the runs but the manner in which he scores them. He is basically come in to bat 2 down for **** all every time in an era supposed to be bowler friendly and makes hundreds every third innings.

 

[Gob]

Again, lots of emotion here. Very few numbers.

The one number that's not in doubt is that Smith averages 12 points ahead of Kohli.

My only point is that that when the numbers are standardized for pitch conditions, quality of opposition, they will be a lot closer. Last I checked, it wasn't statistically different. Although I think the Ashes may have changed that.

But you can't just look at the averages and make a call. Ken Barrington had an average 10 points higher than Neil Harvey, does anyone really think he was better. One example.

There is already a piece on cricinfo about this subject. Different values were given to each aspect of run making (compared to say PEWS) obviously but according to this exercise their gap is even bigger than their overall averages suggest

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/25736237/anantha-narayanan-who-is-the-best-ever-to-play?

 

[OverratedSanity]

I'll take pews' statistical analysis over anything anantha narayanan does, thanks. The guy is terrible.

 

[Gob]

I'll take pews' statistical analysis over anything anantha narayanan does, thanks. The guy is terrible.

Check it its bit different. Worth a look

 

[OverratedSanity]

OK now that I've clicked I'm actually convinced

 

[Gob]

I'd like to hear Daemon's take on this

 

[Teja.]

Cribbage aws facing monetary pressure from James to update in a way to please overzealous RANDIs.

 

[Daemon]

I'd like to hear Daemon's take on this

Good article. Nothing new as it's been incorporated in many formulae such as my own and DoG's, but the way it's presented is pretty entertaining. Amusing, almost.

 

[Coronis]

After thorough analysis, I have come to a conclusion. Smith is the 3rd greatest batsman of all time, and Kohli is the 8th, case closed. However, Smith ends up with 1.5 times as many points as Kohli, showing the true gap between them.

 

[Jack1]

Smith is miles ahead of everyone right now in tests.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Hot take: Smith's "pressure" is as meaningless as Sachin having the weight of a billion Indians on his shoulders.

 

[Bijed]

I'll take the guy who's averaged 110 over the last 18 months....not even close

Kohli is better imo. So easy for fans to forget that before the Ashes, Smith hadn't scored a single run for a year.

I don't think either post was completely serious, but it's interesting to see Smith's ban counting both massively in his favour and hugely against him

 

[trundler]

Hot take: Smith's "pressure" is as meaningless as Sachin having the weight of a billion Indians on his shoulders.

Room temperature take: both are real factors imo. Something's importance being overstated often doesn't mean it's not a thing at all.

 

[Spark]

I don't think either post was completely serious, but it's interesting to see Smith's ban counting both massively in his favour and hugely against him

in summary, steve smith is a land of contrasts

 

[BoyBrumby]

Smith's unquestionably better as of now (although I'd far rather actually watch Kohli play), but I do wonder what will happen when Anno Domini dulls Smith's godlike eye slightly.

With his MO, so reliant on said eye, his output may well decline rather more steeply than the normally autumn years tapering off.

 

[Slifer]

Some of these former cricketers are dumb in the way they tippy-tappy around questions like this in an attempt to "please" the Indian audience. The Indian audience doesn't need to be patronized FFS.

Recently, I was having a look at the comment section of a Times of India article about Smith and while I was expecting to find every other comment in that cesspit saying "sandpaper cheat", most of them were actually quite gracious acknowledging Smith as the best Test batsman going around right now.

Yup I've seen it done by Viv, lara, jonty etc. They are obviously pandering to the fragile indian public and those with any sense know this. Smith daylight kohli/Williamson the rest.