Dennis Lillee vs Sunil Gavaskar

[DrWolverine]

“I know he was a great batsman but I cannot rate him among the great batsmen I bowled against. I rated Gavaskar of medium quality only and I have not changed my mind.”

Maybe this infamous walkout played a role as well

 

[Johan]

Maybe this infamous walkout played a role as well


View attachment 46880

Must've, Gavaskar was being a bitch here.

 

[DrWolverine]

Sunny was our first player to stand up to them.

The fact he was able to do it when our team wasn’t that strong or BCCI was rich makes it even more special.

 

[Johan]

It's a LBW decision, if it's out it's out, if it's faulty then whatever, If you're not English or South African you cannot complain about biased home umpiring.

 

[DrWolverine]

Before 1990s very few Asian cricketers stood up to Aus/Eng. Miandad was one but he was considered a street rowdy for his uncultured ways.

Sunny was different. An English speaking Indian from the 1970s who was also widely respected for his talent and maybe that’s what bothered them.

 

[Johan]

Sunny's whole reputation at the time was skyrocketed by an English Cricketer praising him greatly by the way, that Cricket's comments are what propelled him to best in the world level status, so No, he didn't bother anyone.

 

[DrWolverine]

Sunny was our first world class cricketer. He showed to the entire world that we are no longer just about spinners.

Gavaskar. Imran. Ganguly. Ranatunga.
They were more than just cricketers.
They proved that we arrived on the world stage.


To stand up to the people who have been historically ahead of us and coming out as the best can only be understand if you are from this region.

 

[Johan]

all that is fine and dandy, but trying to present Sunny as some hated figure in Australia or England when he was not, is kind of illogical. same with presenting him overreacting about a supposedly bad LBW decision as a positive.

 

[kyear2]

Funnily, Lillee DID NOT return the same respect to Gavaskar, like at all, perhaps this comment made Sunny G racist to Australians...

“I know he was a great batsman but I cannot rate him among the great batsmen I bowled against. I rated Gavaskar of medium quality only and I have not changed my mind.”

Ruthless.

I distinctly recall a discussion a decade of so ago where ORS mentioned that his dad, like Holding, rated Sunny to be a fair weather bat and rated Barry easily his superior.

When conditions were challenging, be it fast or swinging, Sunny was not often the one to stand up.

He was never someone rated the best in the world, was overshadowed in the '70's and Sir Cuthbert was his equal in the 80's.

His post career ratings jump is heavily influenced by his WI which we all know isn't quite what it seems.

Great batsman, ATG borderline top 10 batsman no doubt. But when not a fast bowler from your era has called you the guy, and they all but unanimously rate another guy ahead of you, that can't be discounted. And definitely not BAB category.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Every batsman Ever is a fairweather batsman.

 

[kyear2]

Sunny was our first world class cricketer. He showed to the entire world that we are no longer just about spinners.

Gavaskar. Imran. Ganguly. Ranatunga.
They were more than just cricketers.
They proved that we arrived on the world stage.


To stand up to the people who have been historically ahead of us and coming out as the best can only be understand if you are from this region.

Fully understood. I was watching a documentary on YouTube yesterday about the 10 most important conflicts in history, and the white washing of history with regards to India and Pakistan and how England greatly influenced their (and the world's) culture and legal system, and they even mentioned how it lead to them being two top cricketing powers. So while it was kinda historically accurate overall, the entire video was intellectually dishonest and incredibly biased.

But the same scenario also existed in the Caribbean and why it was so important to the region when Headley then Worrell took over the captaincy. Worrell especially.

But even the emergence of great batsmen from the region was something to celebrate, considering the refrain in the Caribbean of white man bat, black man bowl. Hence the significance of again Headley and the 3W's.


But while that makes them incredibly important to the region, and undoubtedly so. I don't think it elevates them to being better cricketers.

Just my opinion.

 

[subshakerz]

I am rating Lillee higher lately.

 

[sayon basak]

Every batsman Ever is a fairweather batsman.

Every weather ever is a fair weather.