Cricket's Great Myths

[R!TTER]

Depends on the pitches & DRS, if we're playing on Bangalore 2017, Nagpur 2015, Ahmedabad 2021 or Mumbai 2004 probably in the 40's at best & that too in a one off game. Ultimately though the runs scored by others in the team would matter just as much - this was peak or near peak AB's output in 2015, on two dicy wickets -

Player	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	0	4s	6s
AM Rahane (IND)	4	6	1	266	127	53.20	516	51.55	2	0	0	22	8
AB de Villiers (SA)	4	7	0	258	85	36.85	608	42.43	0	2	1	31	1
M Vijay (IND)	4	7	1	210	75	35.00	487	43.12	0	1	0	27	1
CA Pujara (IND)	4	6	0	202	77	33.66	423	47.75	0	1	0	23	2
V Kohli (IND)	4	6	0	200	88	33.33	387	51.67	0	1	0	25	0

 

[Daemon]

Lol Rahane really saved his stats in that series thanks to the last Test which was on the easiest track.

 

[subshakerz]

Ponting being a poor player of spin is a great myth.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Ponting being a poor player of spin is a great myth.

He wasn't terrible, but by ATG standards, he was clearly weak. He plonked his front foot forward with his bat and pad together and had hard hands, all stuff that makes playing spin tougher.

 

[slippy888]

Macewell

 

[BazBall21]

Think some people (especially my generation) regard Gower as a luxury/downhill skier type player in the Bell mould which isn't fair at all.

 

[Senile Sentry]

Ponting being a poor player of spin is a great myth.

He was really terrible early but then worked on it to become pretty good.

 

[subshakerz]

He was really terrible early but then worked on it to become pretty good.

I just find it strange how a terrible player of spin could score so well against Murali in SL.

 

[BazBall21]

Dravid being better against high pace than spin

 

[OverratedSanity]

Dravid being better against high pace than spin

He was better against swing not pace

 

[BazBall21]

He was better against swing not pace

Correct.

 

[BazBall21]

Gavaskar being better than Gooch (and Amarnath) against WI is pretty well known to be a myth

 

[BazBall21]

Pak being a spin friendly country is a good shout as a myth.

 

[Senile Sentry]

I just find it strange how a terrible player of spin could score so well against Murali in SL.

Not always though. Most of his success in SL came during the 1999 series, when Murali was playing tests after a gap of more than a year after having to undergo a right shoulder surgery. Don't forget he was still evolving into the All time Great bowler (had 200 wickets at 27 at that point).

In that series, Ponting had a good outing at Kandy (where fast bowlers had a good say as Murali had) followed by a 100 in a stop start rain hit game at SSC that was doomed from the start (and in which Murali struggled overall).

Ponting didn't fare that greatly in the next two trips to SL, 2004 (avg 33) and 2011 (avg 33). Curiously though Vaas dismissed him most of the time.in the 2004 tour (murali didn't get to get him once).

 

[Burgey]

Just want to know whether shoulder surgery is or is not a legit reason for a 90s/00s ATG spinner to bowl poorly upon their return. Could I get some clarification from the usual suspects here please?

 

[Migara]

Pakistanis are good against spin - at least after early 90s is a massive myth.

 

[Migara]

Just want to know whether shoulder surgery is or is not a legit reason for a 90s/00s ATG spinner to bowl poorly upon their return. Could I get some clarification from the usual suspects here please?

I cannot remember Murali was injured in 1999. May be in 1998. The series was played on a green seamer (Kandy), dustbowl (Galle) and a batting paradise (SSC). Murali did well on the quickest wicket. On spinning wicket he had to share his wickets with other spinners. SSC was basically meh for bowlers other than Fleming.

 

[subshakerz]

Pakistanis are good against spin - at least after early 90s is a massive myth.

Until recently, Pakistan always had a couple of players who were legitimately great against spin in their lineup.

Salim Malik and Anwar in the 90s. Inzi and Younis Khan in 2000s, even Shoaib Malik was very skilled against spin. Then Misbah joined Younis. Right now though its pretty much only Babar.

 

[Niall]

Until recently, Pakistan always had a couple of players who were legitimately great against spin in their lineup.

Salim Malik and Anwar in the 90s. Inzi and Younis Khan in 2000s, even Shoaib Malik was very skilled against spin. Then Misbah joined Younis. Right now though its pretty much only Babar.

Sarafraz in those days with Younis/Misbah was a spin bully tbf.

 

[Migara]

Until recently, Pakistan always had a couple of players who were legitimately great against spin in their lineup.

Salim Malik and Anwar in the 90s. Inzi and Younis Khan in 2000s, even Shoaib Malik was very skilled against spin. Then Misbah joined Younis. Right now though its pretty much only Babar.

None of them had the ability of Sidhu, Sachin, Azhar or Sehwag. Warne and Murali easily dominated them. Now go back to 70s. Pakistani batsmen ended careers of Indian spin quartret, and that is proper bullying of spin. Underwood ended his career before this great phase of Pakistani cricket, but even he struggled on dry Pakistani pitches in early 70s.