How highly do you rate Gilchrist as a pure bat?

[subshakerz]

Played some great knocks but also played for an ATG lineup in a batting era. Where does his batting rank him, compared to the rest of the lineup and his peers in his era?

 

[Spark]

I mean he was probably the single biggest factor in making that batting lineup feel like an ATG lineup. Unbelievably demoralising trying to slog through that top order on a flat pitch with the knowledge that there's this bloke, who could have slotted in at #3 in just about any side in history save for a select few, coming in down at #7.

 

[Coronis]

Depends on how much of his career I can ignore.


But seriously, great game changing batsman. Not an “ATG” for me, though I’m not sure exactly where my threshold is for that.

 

[mr_mister]

He's like a fraction behind Viv stats wise and played in the same hyper aggressive style, albeit in an easier era for batting

I think he's very, very close to an ATG level bat

 

[TheJediBrah]

Should have come into the team a few years earlier to make the most of his best years, could have been anything as a bat.

As a keeper/bat achieved more and provided more value than he would have as just a bat though

 

[sledger]

Absolutely exceptional. Were he any other nationality he would have been selected as an outright batter in any other side in the world, in any format

 

[TheJediBrah]

Played some great knocks but also played for an ATG lineup in a batting era. Where does his batting rank him, compared to the rest of the lineup and his peers in his era?

To answer this, I think he was better than anyone he played with except probably Ponting and Waugh. Potentially could have been better than them as well if given a different role

 

[honestbharani]

If we assume he would have played the exact same way and gotten the exact same results, he is a great test batsman. Personally, I just dont think he would have batted the way he does if he was not a keeper and that would have impacted his output given one of his biggest strengths was basically being "a left handed Viv Richards" as Geoff Boycott once put it.

 

[Everton Seymour]

Australia were the World's best team in the 2000's and Gilchrist was a large part of that . It was hard enough trying to dismiss Hayden , Ponting , Martyn etc for cheap runs then this chap walks in at No.7 and just destroys whatever little confidence your team had left . He was like the Final Level Boss that you're trying to slay with minimum resources left in the tank . The fear factor alone makes him an ATG.

 

[trundler]

ATVG+.

 

[subshakerz]

Should have come into the team a few years earlier to make the most of his best years, could have been anything as a bat.

As a keeper/bat achieved more and provided more value than he would have as just a bat though

That is a good point. He debuted mid-career batting peak is seems, could have added another 20-30 test of quality performance had he debuted earlier and ended with a 50 plus average.

 

[Migara]

****ing electric.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I always felt he had the technique to bat anywhere in the top 6. Maybe a sort of Clive Lloyd, maybe better than Lloyd.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

To answer this, I think he was better than anyone he played with except probably Ponting and Waugh. Potentially could have been better than them as well if given a different role

And Hayden

 

[TheJediBrah]

And Hayden

Gilchrist better

 

[thierry henry]

Benefited from the role he played and team he was in. Of course, he was also a big part of making that team what it was. Just can’t see him being the same player if he was, say, batting 3 or 4 and not keeping.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Gilchrist better

Nah.

From taking the dates of Gilly's test career (Nov 5, 1999 - Jan 28, 2008) Hayden played 87 tests as an opener scoring 7981 runs at 56.20 with 29 of his 30 100s.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Benefited from the role he played and team he was in. Of course, he was also a big part of making that team what it was. Just can’t see him being the same player if he was, say, batting 3 or 4 and not keeping.

Gilchrist batting 3 or 4 at not keeping would have been a monster

 

[Prince EWS]

Benefited from the role he played and team he was in. Of course, he was also a big part of making that team what it was. Just can’t see him being the same player if he was, say, batting 3 or 4 and not keeping.

Haha I was waiting for your post in here. I was hoping it'd include a reference to his quote about just feeling like he was incredibly fluky whenever he made runs.

 

[Burgey]

I think what HB said is right in that his role allowed him to play with the freedom he did, but he was an awesome player and probably would have been wherever he batted, though maybe not to the same extent.