Better batting prime – Ricky Ponting vs Virat Kohli

[Johan]

in their down years, it seems like Ponting was superior far and away.

now for their primes.

Virat Kohli 2016-2019 – 4208 runs at 66.79, with 16 100s

Ricky Ponting 2002-2006 – 6141 runs at 72.25, with 24 100s

 

[sayon basak]

Ponting had arguably the best prime ever after Don Bradman and Steve Smith.

 

[Johan]

Ponting had arguably the best prime ever after Don Bradman and Steve Smith.

Sobers and Viv

 

[Coronis]

Yeah I’d say Sobers, Smith and Richards had the best short term peaks (not necessarily in that order)

Then you have the likes of Sanga, Ponting, Hammond, Kallis etc on a level above Kohli.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Yeah I’d say Sobers, Smith and Richards had the best short term peaks (not necessarily in that order)

Then you have the likes of Sanga, Ponting, Hammond, Kallis etc on a level above Kohli.

Eh, not necessarily buy that. Didn't we had this discussion on a similar thread on how Kohli's peak was comparable to the likes of Sangakkara and Ponting ?

 

[HouHsiaoHsien]

Ponting has nothing in his career that compares to Kohli in Eng 2018 or SA 2018

 

[Slifer]

Ponting has nothing in his career that compares to Kohli in Eng 2018 or SA 2018

They may not quite be at the level as what Kohli did but Ricky has more than enough series vs challenging attacks and making runs: SL 99/00, WI 99, at home vs RSA 98/99 (unofficial world championship), then there was that series vs Pakistan in SL and Sharjah which were challenging because of the environmental factors (the sweltering heat). And all of this was before Ricky's actual peak.

 

[capt_Luffy]

They may not quite be at the level as what Kohli did but Ricky has more than enough series vs challenging attacks and making runs: SL 99/00, WI 99, at home vs RSA 98/99 (unofficial world championship), then there was that series vs Pakistan in SL and Sharjah which were challenging because of the environmental factors (the sweltering heat). And all of this was before Ricky's actual peak.

Yeah, so should he got peak points for those though?? Also, they were great series, but hardly any stuff as good as Australia 2014, England 2019 or South Africa 2018.

 

[Slifer]

Yeah, so should he got peak points for those though?? Also, they were great series, but hardly any stuff as good as Australia 2014, England 2019 or South Africa 2018.

Honestly, there's very little I've seen better than what Kohli did in RSA in 2018.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Ponting never really had dominant series away from home the same way he did in Australia. Still scary as hell of course.

Kohli's peak is very close. The volume of runs wasn't the same as pontings but there were some very tough conditions away from home that ponting didn't have to face.

 

[Patience and Accuracy+Gut]

Yeah I’d say Sobers, Smith and Richards had the best short term peaks (not necessarily in that order)

Then you have the likes of Sanga, Ponting, Hammond, Kallis etc on a level above Kohli.

Sir John Berry Hobbs deserving of a mention.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Probably Kohli, for his series-winning performance in the 2024-25 BG Trophy.

 

[Coronis]

Sir John Berry Hobbs deserving of a mention.

I’d class his as more of a long term peak rather than short term, which is why I didn’t mention him.