Viv Richards vs Brian Lara

[Jumno]

Viv for me is ahead of Lara.

However Lara too could up the rate and play attacking shots, step up a gear if the situation demanded it.

 

[subshakerz]

Viv for me is ahead of Lara.

However Lara too could up the rate and play attacking shots, step up a gear if the situation demanded it.

Yeah we can't use aggression as a factor to differentiate between Viv and Lara.

 

[subshakerz]

Not remotely part of that conversation. It wasn't applicable, necessary nor required.

I mentioned the 3 names I wanted to mention, you just can't help yourself.

Only you would complain about bringing up a player in a thread dedicated to him.

 

[kyear2]

Only you would complain about bringing up a player in a thread dedicated to him.

As usual you lack awareness and context, so it's fine.

And I'm not the only one who noticed.

 

[Jumno]

Yeah we can't use aggression as a factor to differentiate between Viv and Lara.

I didn't, I merely stated Lara too can step up a gear if he wanted.

 

[subshakerz]

I didn't, I merely stated Lara too can step up a gear if he wanted.

I agreed with you, to clarify.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Batting
Lara > Viv

Overall
Viv > Lara

 

[DrWolverine]

Lara played 16 tests against Wasim, Waqar and Donald and never scored a century against them.

Brian Lara has scored centuries only against McGrath & Pollock. I know he is a “genius” and best “on his day” batsman but this is truly shocking.

On the other hand his great rival Sachin Tendulkar has scored centuries against Akram, Waqar, McGrath, Donald, Pollock, Steyn, Walsh and Shoaib.

 

[Johan]

Viv by a small but clear margin, Reckon he'd be decisively superior in today's game too. infact, would put Sobers and Hutton between Viv and Lara.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Brian Lara has scored centuries only against McGrath & Pollock. I know he is a “genius” and best “on his day” batsman but this is truly shocking.

On the other hand his great rival Sachin Tendulkar has scored centuries against Akram, Waqar, McGrath, Donald, Pollock, Steyn, Walsh and Shoaib.

I don't think scoring centuries is be all and end all really. Viv didn't score a single century in his ATG 1981 tour of Australia vs Lillee, Thomson, Dymock and Hogg.

 

[subshakerz]

I don't think scoring centuries is be all and end all really. Viv didn't score a single century in his ATG 1981 tour of Australia vs Lillee, Thomson, Dymock and Hogg.

You mean 79/80 and yes he did.

 

[capt_Luffy]

You mean 79/80 and yes he did.

Oh yeah, 81 was Pakistan and had a century in the 1st Test. Well, my point stands as his innings read 140, 96, 76 and 74

 

[subshakerz]

Brian Lara has scored centuries only against McGrath & Pollock. I know he is a “genius” and best “on his day” batsman but this is truly shocking.

On the other hand his great rival Sachin Tendulkar has scored centuries against Akram, Waqar, McGrath, Donald, Pollock, Steyn, Walsh and Shoaib.

You are right, it does totally defeat the argument of Lara being the best 'on his day' player if he is incapable of long innings against top quality pace. He may be literally the last bat you would pick to chase 300 against Lillee and Imran.

Would also point out that he struggled against the mid 2000s Eng Ashes quartet, particularly Harmison and Flintoff.

 

[Johan]

I don't think scoring centuries is be all and end all really. Viv didn't score a single century in his ATG 1981 tour of Australia vs Lillee, Thomson, Dymock and Hogg.

True, Hutton also only scored one ton in 1950-51 series against Lindwall/Miller/Johnston/Johnson in a series about as bowler friendly as 2018 Ind vs SA, didn't mean it was not an ATG tour tho

 

[subshakerz]

Oh yeah, 81 was Pakistan and had a century in the 1st Test. Well, my point stands as his innings read 140, 96, 76 and 74

Um no you lost your point because Viv still scored tons against top pacers in their prime in those series. He also scored a ton against Lillee and Thommo in 76.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Um no you lost your point because Viv still scored tons against top pacers in their prime in those series. He also scored a ton against Lillee and Thommo in 76.

One ton. In his ATG series....... Like Virat in 2018 SA

 

[subshakerz]

One ton. In his ATG series....... Like Virat in 2018 SA

One ton and no failures and scoring at a high SR. So yeah. Virat averaged 47 in SA what are you on about?

Here is the Wisden report in case you are unconvinced:

'Few individuals have so dominated a season as Richards did this one. Statistics help tell some of the story. In the Tests, he scored 140 at Brisbane, 96 at Melbourne, and 76 and 74 at Adelaide. In the World Series Cup, his sequence was 9, 153 not out, 62, 85 not out, 88, 23 and 65. Outside the Tests he batted in only two first-class innings, scoring 79 and 127. He gathered his runs with the command and range of strokes of the truly great batsmen, scoring freely against bowling of every type. That he has suffering at the time from groin and back trouble so acute that he was often forced to limp painfully emphasised the extraordinary nature of his performance.'

 

[DrWolverine]

You are right, it does totally defeat the argument of Lara being the best 'on his day' player if he is incapable of long innings against top quality pace.

Viv Richards centuries against top pacers
1. 1976 - Dennis Lillee( & Jeff Thomson)
2. 1979 - Dennis Lillee( & Jeff Thomson)
3. 1980 - Imran Khan
4 1985 - Richard Hadlee
5. 1988 - Imran Khan

 

[DrWolverine]

I was just going through the stats of all time great batsman and didn’t know scoring tons against top pacers was this difficult.

 

[sayon basak]

I was just going through the stats of all time great batsman and didn’t know scoring tons against top pacers was this difficult.

That's why they are top pacers.