Ricky Ponting vs James Anderson

[Arachnodouche]

Hard to convey Ponting's aura from that time through stats alone. Arrogance - not just confidence - backed up with near-guaranteed performance. Anderson never really had that degree of inevitability about him, not even in England.

 

[Johan]

Hard to convey Ponting's aura from that time through stats alone. Arrogance - not just confidence - backed up with near-guaranteed performance. Anderson never really had that degree of inevitability about him, not even in England.

Man's making Ricky sound like Viv bleh

 

[Arachnodouche]

Man's making Ricky sound like Viv bleh

Never saw Viv bat. Did see Ponting though and he was imperious enough for me at his best. Seen the team I support chase plenty of leather at his hands.

 

[Johan]

Never saw Viv bat. Did see Ponting though and he was imperious enough for me at his best. Seen the team I support chase plenty of leather at his hands.

Yeah Ponting was one of the greatest ever in that 2002-2006 period.

 

[kyear2]

You think it's wrong to say dravid was on the same level as ponting and Waugh? Hardly controversial.

I just don't agree.

Don't think Waugh is on that same tier either.

I have Ponting with guys like Chappell, Hammond, Sunny, Kallis.

Dravid with the guys just below like

Border, Sangakkara, Waugh etc...

 

[kyear2]

Ponting isn't better than Waugh and around equal to Dravid. So yeah really.

That's not very sound honestly. Quantity makes a **** ton of difference, especially considering bowlers are in general more important than batsmen and the latter having higher longevity is a big reason they get rated higher.

He was never as good as the bolwers he's being compared to. Playing longer doesn't lend class.

We fundamentally disagree on that.

 

[kyear2]

Hard to convey Ponting's aura from that time through stats alone. Arrogance - not just confidence - backed up with near-guaranteed performance. Anderson never really had that degree of inevitability about him, not even in England.

Exactly all of this.

He just had a dip, **** happens.

 

[capt_Luffy]

He was never as good as the bolwers he's being compared to. Playing longer doesn't lend class.

We fundamentally disagree on that.

He like averaged 22 overall for a solid 8-9 years and has Great series everywhere, even in places his record is overall poor like Australia and South Africa.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

The problem with Anderson isn’t his averages. It’s that he’s not really as much a strike bowler in tough conditions as other greats like Steyn/Cummins/Bumrah.

 

[Johan]

He like averaged 22 overall for a solid 8-9 years and has Great series everywhere, even in places his record is overall poor like Australia and South Africa.

I'll add in this, the stretch Jimmy had from 2010 to like the first test against Newzealand in 2023, that 13 year long 134 match stretch of sustained brilliance is a much longer period of being world class than Ponting who was kind of just there outside of his 2002-2006 godly run. (he averages 41 without that 5 year run, he has like 18 year career).

if sustained brilliance is a factor to you, I can see a Jimmy vote.

 

[kyear2]

He like averaged 22 overall for a solid 8-9 years and has Great series everywhere, even in places his record is overall poor like Australia and South Africa.

Was he as good as Steyn? McGrath, even Cummins? Bumrah?

There are legitimate reasons to exclude parts of Wasim's career, or to focus on the ATG parts (which I could argue Anderson flat out lacks), what's the reason for Anderson?

 

[capt_Luffy]

Was he as good as Steyn? McGrath, even Cummins? Bumrah?

There are legitimate reasons to exclude parts of Wasim's career, or to focus on the ATG parts (which I could argue Anderson flat out lacks), what's the reason for Anderson?

He was Great for a longer time period. Playing till 42 and averaging 22 at home is pretty peak.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Root is MUCH better than Anderson.

Ponting is better than Root (but the gap is getting close).

Also Ponting was an ATG fielder and a gutsy captain who never yielded an inch, whilst Anderson was a no 11 and a good fielder for a bowler.

Thus, Ponting and it's not close.

 

[kyear2]

He was Great for a longer time period. Playing till 42 and averaging 22 at home is pretty peak.

I don't care how long he played, he didn't hit the peaks that Ponting did, not close to imho.

And home conditions were designed for him.

At any point in his career did we say, this guy is up there with McGrath and Marshall?

This guy can challenge for that top tier of legends?

No.

 

[capt_Luffy]

I don't care how long he played, he didn't hit the peaks that Ponting did, not close to imho.

And home conditions were designed for him.

At any point in his career did we say, this guy is up there with McGrath and Marshall?

This guy can challenge for that top tier of legends?

No.

I don't care how much he bashed weak bowling attacks in pitches designed for him to score, he didn't hit consistent greatness Anderson did.

Ponting challenging the top tier doesn't matters if he can't end like that.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Ponting was poor in one country (India) and had an excellent record against all countries. He was the best bat of the 2000s.

Anderson was terrible in Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, okay in India (tough place for seamers) and mediocre to poor in NZ (figures in the latter greatly inflated by a pink ball test and far worse than NZ). He also had an appalling record vs Australia at home, which is why many Aussies saw Broad as far more of a threat.

Add in ATG fielding and Ponting's leadership, this isn't close.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Ponting was poor in one country (India) and had an excellent record against all countries. He was the best bat of the 2000s.

Anderson was terrible in Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, okay in India (tough place for seamers) and mediocre to poor in NZ (figures in the latter greatly inflated by a pink ball test and far worse than NZ). He also had an appalling record vs Australia at home, which is why many Aussies saw Broad as far more of a threat.

Add in ATG fielding and Ponting's leadership, this isn't close.

Anderson averaged 22 for 13 years across all conditions. Ponting is ATG nowhere but at home and arguably South Africa.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

I think everyone agrees that Ponting v Donald is quite close

I doubt many think Donald v Anderson is close?

 

[capt_Luffy]

I think everyone agrees that Ponting v Donald is quite close

I doubt many think Donald v Anderson is close?

Nope. I don't think Ponting vs Donald is particularly much closer than Donald vs Anderson. A bit closer, but nothing significant. IMHO, Ponting vs Anderson is definitely closer than Ponting vs Donald.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Ponting got 16 motm awards in 168 tests despite huge competition from players in his team, whilst Anderson only got 8 in 188 despite far less competition.

Anderson was good at getting tidy 3/50s which are great for an average (which is what he did in the 2nd half of his career) but don't win games.

Furthermore, Ponting would've been a guaranteed starter for every other team through 90% of his career, whereas Anderson wouldn't have made the XI for Australia, South Africa, NZ, and Pakistan for a number of years.