Brian Lara vs Ricky Ponting

[PlayerComparisons]

Two very talented players

 

[Fanboy375]

Ponting shined during 2000s where batting was little more friendly towards batsman.Before that his ave was below 45.Lara and Ponting in 2000s had same ave (53).Lara before that batted with same ave but in less friendly batting era.

 

[Sliferxxxx]

Ponting shined during 2000s where batting was little more friendly towards batsman.Before that his ave was below 45.Lara and Ponting in 2000s had same ave (53).Lara before that batted with same ave but in less friendly batting era.

Lara. Ponting is a better player of pace though and one of the best I've seen all time. And for a while there, Ponting was batting like a real run machine and threatened to legitimately be considered the best since the Don, then came his fall. Lara's fall was in the middle of his career but either side he was amazing. I just feel like Lara had an extra gear he could reach, no one else could touch (or very few did).

 

[Betterpolo]

Ponting was brilliant and I'll take his pull shot to my grave. The fact that I am English and I admire it even through every one against us was a dagger to the heart says it all.

But Lara was one of those cricketers who was on another level and felt like a force of nature. That type of player always clinches it for me.

 

[DrWolverine]

Last 80 years
Lara : Top 5
Ponting : Top 10

 

[kyear2]

Lara. Ponting is a better player of pace though and one of the best I've seen all time. And for a while there, Ponting was batting like a real run machine and threatened to legitimately be considered the best since the Don, then came his fall. Lara's fall was in the middle of his career but either side he was amazing. I just feel like Lara had an extra gear he could reach, no one else could touch (or very few did).

At least someone else besides me remembers this.

But yeah, Lara is among the Gods, Ponting just a little below Mount Olympus.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Ponting was amazing but people got a tad carried away during his peak imo. There were several other players putting up comparable numbers even at the time. Great player but was never on Lara's level of genius.

 

[kyear2]

Ponting was amazing but people got a tad carried away during his peak imo. There were several other players putting up comparable numbers even at the time. Great player but was never on Lara's level of genius.

They may have been, but none with the brutality and speed that he was. He took over and dominated attacks and games.

He was a match winner.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

Surprised by @capt_Luffy ’s vote

 

[Johan]

Ponting against express pace, Lara against everything else by far

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Ponting against express pace

Except against Bond in ODIs. Ponting was his bunny

 

[Johan]

Except against Bond in ODIs. Ponting was his bunny

Bond moved the ball inside, ofcourse Ponting would be his bunny

 

[Prince EWS]

Except against Bond in ODIs. Ponting was his bunny

#randomkiwi

 

[DrWolverine]

Ponting was amazing but people got a tad carried away during his peak imo.

I feel that’s because their team was so dominant at that time and he was both their captain and the best batsman.

 

[DrWolverine]

They may have been, but none with the brutality and speed that he was.

I think Ponting has the second best average for a 5 year calendar period - Beast mode for first half of 2000s

 

[Johan]

It's easy to be the best Batsmen with Fidel Edwards bowling and you're 100-1 on a dead wicket.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

It’s certainly not easy to average 70.57 at a strike rate of 62.51 over a 6 year period

 

[Johan]

it's astonishing how Ponting doesn't make it to top 5 batting peaks post Bradman with that.

 

[DrWolverine]

Ponting had a glorious 10 year period(1999-2008)
105 Tests. 178 innings.9488 runs.
35 centuries. Avg of 61.61

 

[DrWolverine]

2nd highest batting for 5 successive calendar years
3rd highest batting average for 80 innings peak
Ricky Ponting had a legendary run. It’s indisputable.