Dean Elgar vs Tom Latham vs Dimuth Karunaratne

[palehorse]

Who is the better test match opener?

 

[Shady Slim]

to me this is the race for the second best opener of the tens behind cook… and i often jump between the three

 

[a massive zebra]

Definitely not Latham who is a massive minnow basher and Karunaratne is better to watch than Elgar, so I vote for the Sri Lankan.

 

[a massive zebra]

to me this is the race for the second best opener of the tens behind cook… and i often jump between the three

Surely Dave Warner and Graeme Smith are well ahead of these guys, although admittedly Smith only played for about half the decade. Tamim Iqbal at a similar level also.

 

[Tom Flint]

Didn't smith retire in about 2012

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Who is the better test match opener?

Rajendra Chandrika

 

[TheJediBrah]

Definitely not Latham lmao

 

[Gob]

to me this is the race for the second best opener of the tens behind cook… and i often jump between the three

None of them are good enough to carry Dave Warner's jockstrap

 

[Gob]

Definitely not Latham lmao

Kiwi brahs will be mad

 

[TheJediBrah]

Kiwi brahs will be mad

Nah they are well aware that he's not actually good in proper circket

 

[Gob]

Nah they are well aware that he's not actually good in proper circket

Flem got reeealy mad once though.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Flem got reeealy mad once though.

That's like saying my water was wet this one time

 

[Flem274*]

Flem got reeealy mad once though.

About someone dissing Latham? Unlikely. His average is fraudulent.

 

[Gob]

About someone dissing Latham? Unlikely. His average is fraudulent.

Actually it's about him being good/not good against spin

 

[Flem274*]

Actually it's about him being good/not good against spin

Scored some runs in Asia/UAE. He's decent.

 

[ashley bach]

Interesting little 3 way match-up. Going with Elgar for his warrior like toughness.
Not so pretty to watch but respect his grit.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Kiwi brahs will be mad

No, we won't. Unless it is against a minnow he should be against Nicholls, Phillips to bat 5 in the test team.

We are just disappointed that Ravindra isn't scoring any runs.

 

[Shady Slim]

Surely Dave Warner and Graeme Smith are well ahead of these guys, although admittedly Smith only played for about half the decade. Tamim Iqbal at a similar level also.

yeah i can't count smith given the time he played and re warner his constant failures in india and england (the tours that matter most for a touring oz team) are to me a huge minus

cc @GIMH it's not just joe root who this standard is applied to

 

[TheJediBrah]

yeah i can't count smith given the time he played and re warner his constant failures in india and england (the tours that matter most for a touring oz team) are to me a huge minus

cc @GIMH it's not just joe root who this standard is applied to

This is typical CricketChat, rating consistent mediocrity over Warner who is ATG-level in more than half the games he plays

By all means Cook, Smith, Langer can reasonably be rated better than Warner for their better adaptability, but not these guys lol

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Elgar is a weird one. Does really well in SA, but struggles away from home.

Home av - 47.14 - in SA! (Helped by minnows but amazing)
Away av - 29.81

Opposite of Graeme Smith.

Latham is actually a quality player of spin but atrocious against Aus and England and Chris Martinesque against South Africa. Can score big doubles against poor pace attacks (esp in NZ) and does really well in the subcontinent.

Karunaratne is a bit of a home track bully, but I'd give him the nod. He has fewer obvious flaws.

If Azhar Ali had stayed opening instead of moving to 3 he would be easily the best. Quality player.