Has anyone had a worse downfall than Virat in Test cricket?

[Gnske]

The answer is no

 

[sayon basak]

Rubel Hossain: 3 wickets in his first innings in test cricket

In his next 43 innings bowling, he’s picked up 33 wickets at average of 81.45 and a Strike rate of 125.24

That's actually the greatest comeback.

 

[mr_mister]

Arthur Morris and Neil Harvey had fairly rotten back half of their careers which saw their batting averages halved

 

[Nintendo]

Ponting's was pretty rancid. Doesn't look as bad as virat because he hit his decline in a much more batting friendly era, but if you compare adjusted averages for their respective declines (think punter is after 07?) there fairly close. Botham's also a good shout. Came in as a guy who could bat top 6 and open the bowling and ended as a pre 2024 mitch santner level cricketer.

Edit: Greenidge and viv had pretty notable declines didn't they? May have been haynes and not greenidge.

 

[Johan]

I feel like Ponting's decline was much lesser than Virat's but he was still regularly playing important knocks, the 2012 BGT comes to mind where wickets did fall early anyway and Ponting constantly took games away from India, also absolutely blasted apart Amir and Asif at Hobart.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Devon Conway

 

[bagapath]

//Botham averaged 28-36 over the latter half of his career//

Moen Ali has built a career with those numbers

 

[akilana]

Amla

 

[Nintendo]

I feel like Ponting's decline was much lesser than Virat's but he was still regularly playing important knocks, the 2012 BGT comes to mind where wickets did fall early anyway and Ponting constantly took games away from India, also absolutely blasted apart Amir and Asif at Hobart.

If you account for era there pretty much the same. Ponting's just looks better because he played in an era with much flatter pitches.

 

[Coronis]

//Botham averaged 28-36 over the latter half of his career//

Moen Ali has built a career with those numbers

iirc Zak Crawley has built a career with Kohli’s decline numbers.

 

[Burgey]

Runako Morton
Tarasai Musakanda
Mark Vermeulen
Michael Slater

all had pretty bad falls from grace.

 

[capt_Luffy]

If you account for era there pretty much the same. Ponting's just looks better because he played in an era with much flatter pitches.

As a certified Ponting hater, while I partially agree, Virat's silver linings are just too thin in comparison, probs nothing but his job in SA.

 

[SteveNZ]

Devon Conway

Mathew Sinclair? In both international and domestic cricket.

Granted he wasn't at the Virat level but three BIG tons in his first three years of Test cricket, played until 2010 and never scored another one. From the game v Pakistan in 2001 in Chch when he scored the double ton and an unbeaten 50, to his last Test in March 2010, he scored 3 half centuries in 34 knocks - all of those in 2004 in the space of 5 knocks.

Conway has fallen off a cliff but somehow managed to piece together two knocks of substance in India v a guy in the midst of near-on the best statistical year in Test history. **** knows how.

Virat wins though, to fall as far as he has, and to become a walking wicket in the slip cordon - and still be averaging 46 - is nuts.

 

[Qlder]

//Botham averaged 28-36 over the latter half of his career//

Moen Ali has built a career with those numbers

Mitch Marsh would kill for Botham's latter declining career

Marsh 46 Tests
2083 runs @ 28.53, 51 wkts @ 40.41

Botham last 46 Tests
2137 runs @ 29.68, 129 wkts @ 36.88

 

[mr_mister]

Mitch Marsh would kill for Botham's latter declining career

Marsh 46 Tests
2083 runs @ 28.53, 51 wkts @ 40.41

Botham last 46 Tests
2137 runs @ 29.68, 129 wkts @ 36.88

Puts into perspective how much of a failure Mitch Marshs test career was, damn

 

[Zinzan]

Mitch Marsh would kill for Botham's latter declining career

Marsh 46 Tests
2083 runs @ 28.53, 51 wkts @ 40.41

Botham last 46 Tests
2137 runs @ 29.68, 129 wkts @ 36.88

Lol and yet he still has a superior record to Marsh.... says a lot about the latter being persevered with in Tests as long has he has, and in a strong Test side too.

 

[bagapath]

Puts into perspective how much of a failure Mitch Marshs test career was, damn

and how great Botham was for 50 odd tests that this later phase felt like a colossal failure.

 

[Bahnz]

Mathew Sinclair? In both international and domestic cricket.

Granted he wasn't at the Virat level but three BIG tons in his first three years of Test cricket, played until 2010 and never scored another one. From the game v Pakistan in 2001 in Chch when he scored the double ton and an unbeaten 50, to his last Test in March 2010, he scored 3 half centuries in 34 knocks - all of those in 2004 in the space of 5 knocks.

Conway has fallen off a cliff but somehow managed to piece together two knocks of substance in India v a guy in the midst of near-on the best statistical year in Test history. **** knows how.

Virat wins though, to fall as far as he has, and to become a walking wicket in the slip cordon - and still be averaging 46 - is nuts.

A couple of better NZ candidates than Skippy:

Geoff Howarth: first 23 tests averaged 40 with 6 hundreds, last 24 tests averaged 24 with 0 hundreds

Craig McMillan: first 39 tests averaged 44 with 5 hundreds, last 16 tests averaged 24 with 1 hundred.

 

[capt_Luffy]

and how great Botham was for 50 odd tests that this phase felt like a colossal failure.

I mean, if your numbers are directly compared to Moeen, that's a pretty big failure.

 

[bagapath]

Yeah... he was better than Keith Miller as a bowler; and at the same time he was a better batsman than Imran Khan. Definitely in the running for a top 5 ATG slot. Then he morphed into Moen Ali.