Steve Smith vs Ricky Ponting

[Spark]

you can use the time they scored the most runs and the averages flip in Australia

i agree on the rest of the world but at this stage of his career Ponting was averaging 3 points higher which more than covers the variance

This is also not true. Chop off the period at the start of his career and leave that in which Ponting was scoring most of his runs and the average in Australia goes up to 35-36, depending on when you want to slice it. The period during the 90s during which batting was harder in Australia - and the bowlers higher quality - was also when Ponting was averaging mid-30s.

 

[Spark]

And it's not even not about stats or averages. It's about the fact that the highest standard of batsmanship I've ever seen by an Australian batsman by light years came from Steve Smith first, Steve Smith second, and daylight third, carrying a much weaker batting lineup than Ponting had around him to boot.

 

[ma1978]

And it's not even not about stats or averages. It's about the fact that the highest standard of batsmanship I've ever seen by an Australian batsman by light years came from Steve Smith first, Steve Smith second, and daylight third, carrying a much weaker batting lineup than Ponting had around him to boot.

you believe that, chief

it’s exactly how I felt when Ponting was batting.

and I still rate Border above bother

 

[Coronis]

Ponting definitely belongs in the pantheon of ATGs, don't get me wrong. But what's transpired with pitches and the dominance of bowling around the world starting in about 2015 and only accelerating since then has really, really shown up just how easy batsman had it in the 2000s. In India and England especially so.

Imagine Ponting playing in this era in India against Ashwin, Jadeja, Bumrah et. all

 

[Owzat]

Smith is better on (sand)paper......

 

[ma1978]

It’s also this idea that Ponting was somehow a flat track bully or in a different tier that’s just nonsensical

 

[Coronis]

It’s also this idea that Ponting was somehow a flat track bully or in a different tier that’s just nonsensical

The idea that you think Aussie pitches were better for batting in Smith’s era than in Ponting’s era is just nonsensical.

 

[Spark]

you believe that, chief

it’s exactly how I felt when Ponting was batting.

and I still rate Border above bother

How do you think Ponting would have fared against Ashwin and Jadeja in 2017, or Broad on a rampage in 2019?

 

[ma1978]

How do you think Ponting would have fared against Ashwin and Jadeja in 2017, or Broad on a rampage in 2019?

156 at Old Trafford in 2006 against a better English bowling lineup than Smith has even seen

Centuries on spinning tracks against Murali and the Pakistani spinners

Ridiculous to hold a small sample size against India against him

 

[Coronis]

156 at Old Trafford in 2006 against a better English bowling lineup than Smith has even seen

Centuries on spinning tracks against Murali and the Pakistani spinners

Ridiculous to hold a small sample size against India against him

Breaking news: 14 tests in another country is a small sample size. I’m seeing a lot more flawless records than I thought.

 

[ma1978]

Breaking news: 14 tests in another country is a small sample size. I’m seeing a lot more flawless records than I thought.

8% of his career.

 

[ma1978]

How do you think Ponting would have fared against Ashwin and Jadeja in 2017, or Broad on a rampage in 2019?

I mean even if you think Smith is better, he is An all time great batsman who played plenty of all time great bowlers

 

[Spark]

156 at Old Trafford in 2006 against a better English bowling lineup than Smith has even seen

Centuries on spinning tracks against Murali and the Pakistani spinners

Ridiculous to hold a small sample size against India against him

One innings against two whole series lmao. And Smith has made hundreds against better attacks than that. This one is probably better.

 

[ma1978]

One innings against two whole series lmao. And Smith has made hundreds against better attacks than that. This one is probably better.

that inning is generally considered one of the greatest of all time

your attempt to repaint Ponting as a flat track bully is laughable

 

[ma1978]

One innings against two whole series lmao. And Smith has made hundreds against better attacks than that. This one is probably better.

btw as Smith continues the decline phas of his career which he’s already well in the middle of, you will see how quickly people drop their perception of him like a hot potato.

 

[Spark]

that inning is generally considered one of the greatest of all time

your attempt to repaint Ponting as a flat track bully is laughable

It's also just one innings. Against Pune 2017, Dharamsala 2017, both Edgbaston 2019 innings. Frankly the first innings at Edgbaston is probably a more remarkable innings given the match situation, the number of runs he had to score with the tail, and the pressure of Day 1 of the series and Day 1 of the comeback.

btw as Smith continues the decline phas of his career which he’s already well in the middle of, you will see how quickly people drop their perception of him like a hot potato.

Wow lucky I'm not basing my entire assessment on "what do random casual fans who never watch non-Ashes cricket outside Australia think" then.

 

[Socerer 01]

Smith’s Edgbaston 100s alone are better than anything Ponting did

 

[capt_Luffy]

156 at Old Trafford in 2006 against a better English bowling lineup than Smith has even seen

Centuries on spinning tracks against Murali and the Pakistani spinners

Ridiculous to hold a small sample size against India against him

Seriously, a bowling line-up of Flintoff, Harmisson, Hoggard, Jones and ****ing Ashley Giles is better than any English line-up since??? That was a great innings, no doubt there. But this remark is laughable. There are two bowlers in this match who combined have more wickets than those 5 combined and has a Kapil Dev to spare.
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...a-2nd-investec-test-743965/live-cricket-score

Pakistan tracks used to be mostly flat; and most of SL runs came on bashing the non-Test standard bowlers while all of Australian batting unit carefully neutralised Murali.

14 Test matches isn't a small sample size. You want to think Ponting was the second coming of Sir Don Bradman, be my guest. Just don't throw in such laughable remarks.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

Jones and Flintoff were bowling at ATG level during that series I think. Not sure about the rest.

 

[ma1978]

Seriously, a bowling line-up of Flintoff, Harmisson, Hoggard, Jones and ****ing Ashley Giles is better than any English line-up since??? That was a great innings, no doubt there. But this remark is laughable. There are two bowlers in this match who combined have more wickets than those 5 combined and has a Kapil Dev to spare.
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...a-2nd-investec-test-743965/live-cricket-score

Pakistan tracks used to be mostly flat; and most of SL runs came on bashing the non-Test standard bowlers while all of Australian batting unit carefully neutralised Murali.

14 Test matches isn't a small sample size. You want to think Ponting was the second coming of Sir Don Bradman, be my guest. Just don't throw in such laughable remarks.

you were still shitting in your diapers in 2005. Widely considered the greatest fast bowling performance of all time outside the West Indies in the late 70s/80s