Best Ever ODI XI

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

IMO
Dravid is now better than what Bevan was in his prime. Dravid plays very much the same game, but is more reliable, a far better defensive player against anyone and keeps wickets (even if I hv Gilchrist, a subst could come handy). No way in hell Bevan beats him based on Dravids form since 2003...

Rest: Sachin, Ponting, Richards and Lara are far better than Bevan too IMO

Bevan at his peak smoked Dravid. I'd actually have Bevan in for Lara if you must have you Dravid there. He was pure class with an average of near 60 for a large portion of his career!

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I haven't time to check the whole thread, but has anyone mentioned Joel Garner? If not ...

Good point. How anyone can pick Shoaib or Bond ahead of Garner is beyond me.

 

[Adamc]

IMO
Dravid is now better than what Bevan was in his prime. Dravid plays very much the same game, but is more reliable, a far better defensive player against anyone and keeps wickets (even if I hv Gilchrist, a subst could come handy). No way in hell Bevan beats him based on Dravids form since 2003...

Rest: Sachin, Ponting, Richards and Lara are far better than Bevan too IMO

Not sure how you can make that claim.

Dravid career: 7251 runs at 39.40
Dravid since 2003: 1148 runs at 41.00
Bevan career: 6912 runs at 53.58
Bevan since 2003: 1062 runs at 48.27

 

[delkap]

Not sure how you can make that claim.

Dravid career: 7251 runs at 39.40
Dravid since 2003: 1148 runs at 41.00
Bevan career: 6912 runs at 53.58
Bevan since 2003: 1062 runs at 48.27

You forget the not-outs Bevan had dont you...
Seriously Dravid has more class than Bevan. For most of the time Dravid has batted at 3, now at 5. Bevan always batted at 6, so never got out...

If you look at valuable knocks, Dravid is climbing up steadily since coming down the order...

 

[delkap]

you dont watch too much cricket do you?

Thats coming from a person who thinks Tendulkar is over-rated !!!

 

[Adamc]

You forget the not-outs Bevan had dont you...
Seriously Dravid has more class than Bevan. For most of the time Dravid has batted at 3, now at 5. Bevan always batted at 6, so never got out...

If you look at valuable knocks, Dravid is climbing up steadily since coming down the order...

Even if you discount not outs:

Bevan - 6912 runs in 196 innings: 35.27 runs per innings, SR 74.16
Dravid - 7251 runs in 210 innings:34.53 runs per innings, SR 69.18

You're fighting a losing battle...

 

[delkap]

Even if you discount not outs:

Bevan - 6912 runs in 196 innings: 35.27 runs per innings, SR 74.16
Dravid - 7251 runs in 210 innings:34.53 runs per innings, SR 69.18

You're fighting a losing battle...

now thats hardly any difference !!! (.7 in avg)
so i choose dravid, as he is a better player IMO, which is shown by the fact he has done well in both forms (test and odi). So why not pick a better batsman.

 

[Adamc]

now thats hardly any difference !!! (.7 in avg)
so i choose dravid, as he is a better player IMO, which is shown by the fact he has done well in both forms (test and odi). So why not pick a better batsman.

This is a ODI XI!!! Bevan scores more runs, faster, at a hugely higher average!

 

[CrimeMasterGogo]

Bevan offfers a bit of a bowling option as well (i can't believe we are even talking about this)

Dravid struggled to keep a place in the Indian ODI team until he started keeping wickets...

 

[marc71178]

You forget the not-outs Bevan had dont you...
Seriously Dravid has more class than Bevan. For most of the time Dravid has batted at 3, now at 5. Bevan always batted at 6, so never got out...

Bevan's not outs are more to do with him guiding Australia to victory...

 

[delkap]

Bevan offfers a bit of a bowling option as well (i can't believe we are even talking about this)

Dravid struggled to keep a place in the Indian ODI team until he started keeping wickets...

Dravid would keep his place in any XI in odis now regardless he keeps wickets or not.
I don't believe in records much, I saw Bevan at his peak, and now we are seeing Dravid at his peak. Dravid is better in my opinion. Everyone else is entitled to his/her own. I would end at that.

PS: Please don't point out that its my Indian bias, as that has absolutely nothing to with this !!

 

[Deja moo]

Australia has always had bowlers who could bat . Their lower order would stick around and that allowed Bevan to set his own pace and stick around to finish things off .
India has for a long time had a lower order that couldnt bat for their lives .Dravid or any other middle order batsman has no choice but to go for their shots once the lower order is exposed .....thereby increasing their chances of getting out .

Bevan would average no more than 40 if he batted for India at 5 or 6 .

 

[Eclipse]

Australia has always had bowlers who could bat . Their lower order would stick around and that allowed Bevan to set his own pace and stick around to finish things off .
India has for a long time had a lower order that couldnt bat for their lives .Dravid or any other middle order batsman has no choice but to go for their shots once the lower order is exposed .....thereby increasing their chances of getting out .

Bevan would average no more than 40 if he batted for India at 5 or 6 .

Well India would probably bat him higher if he was going to suffer batting at number 5 or 6. He has always batted at number three domesticly and he avrages 60 there.

 

[Deja moo]

Well India would probably bat him higher if he was going to suffer batting at number 5 or 6. He has always batted at number three domesticly and he avrages 60 there.

Its not a question of him suffering or not .He is needed at 5 ,hence he bats at 5 .However weak the lower order , someone has to bat at 5 , so he does .

 

[tooextracool]

You forget the not-outs Bevan had dont you...

perhaps thats because he bats till the end?

Seriously Dravid has more class than Bevan. For most of the time Dravid has batted at 3, now at 5. Bevan always batted at 6, so never got out...

there has never been a more perfect player than bevan in ODIs, he showed everyone that ODI cricket had more to do with precision timing and placement, running between the wickets and the ability to bat till the end than it did with big hitting. if that isnt class then what is?
as far as the bevan always batted as 6 is concerned...it is completely wrong,he spent his most successful years batting at 4. as i have mentioned on several other occasions.....he was misused by the australian team

 

[tooextracool]

Australia has always had bowlers who could bat . Their lower order would stick around and that allowed Bevan to set his own pace and stick around to finish things off .
India has for a long time had a lower order that couldnt bat for their lives .Dravid or any other middle order batsman has no choice but to go for their shots once the lower order is exposed .....thereby increasing their chances of getting out.

and dravid batted at 3 or 4 for most of his career not at 6! so how exactly has he been batting so frequently with the tail??

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Dravid would keep his place in any XI in odis now regardless he keeps wickets or not.
I don't believe in records much, I saw Bevan at his peak, and now we are seeing Dravid at his peak. Dravid is better in my opinion. Everyone else is entitled to his/her own. I would end at that.

PS: Please don't point out that its my Indian bias, as that has absolutely nothing to with this !!

But the records reflect the fact that Dravid does not perform as effectively in ODIs as Bevan did. The only reasoning I can see for your point is bias.