DrWolverine
International 12th Man
Virat’s downfall is legendary
First 81 Tests : Avg of 55.1 & 26 centuries
Next 41 Tests : Avg of 32 & 4 centuries
First 81 Tests : Avg of 55.1 & 26 centuries
Next 41 Tests : Avg of 32 & 4 centuries
-
Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.
Has anyone had a worse downfall than Virat in Test cricket?
- Thread starter DrWolverine
- Start date
SillyCowCorner1
Moooo
Rubel Hossain: 3 wickets in his first innings in test cricket
In his next 43 innings bowling, he’s picked up 33 wickets at average of 81.45 and a Strike rate of 125.24
In his next 43 innings bowling, he’s picked up 33 wickets at average of 81.45 and a Strike rate of 125.24
capt_Luffy
Cricketer Of The Year
Still ended with 54 average over a handful of Tests only.
capt_Luffy
Cricketer Of The Year
Ian Botham gives him a run for his money IMO
Chin Music
State Vice-Captain
Essentially, Botham was absolutely nothing from late 86 through to 92 when he finally played his last test. He was really unfit from that point onward and a real joke that he continued to play from my opinion, but England suffered so often from playing the 'next' Botham with a list of dubiously proclaimed all-rounders getting a go at test matches, that they had to keep going back to the original who was a pale shadow of his former self.
Just doing a stats filter and he would have averaged 36 with the bat and 26 with the ball until the end of 1985.
CartyDurham
International Captain
Not with the amount of tests but Gary Ballance started with a 70 or so average until he was found out
Red_Ink_Squid
Global Moderator
Yeah I was gonna post Ballance too. Trott another recent England #3 who started incredibly but dropped off.
Bell averaged 49 up to the end of the 2011 home series v India (69 tests) and just 34 over the remaining 49 tests of his career. His scoring rate also fell from 52 to 44 across the two halves of his career.
Chin Music
State Vice-Captain
With some of these players whom we mention a big drop off for, isn't it that they just got a bit long in the tooth? Bell had his greatest series in 2013 v Australia, but then fell away again after that and barely had any runs in him come 2015, when he was disastrous and you declared him binary!
His first three main series (forget the debut in Australia) against SL, India and WI were astonishing (10 tests, 4 hundreds and 5 fifties). In his last 13 tests, he only passed 50 twice (and think he was dropped and recalled, inexplicably).
Silver Silva
International Regular
Jimmy Adams
First 27 Tests - 1963 runs @61.34
Last 27 Tests - 1059 runs @25.59
First 27 Tests - 1963 runs @61.34
Last 27 Tests - 1059 runs @25.59
SillyCowCorner1
Moooo
Man he was padding them instead of scoring in those last 27 tests which didn’t help.
Last edited:
Patience and Accuracy+Gut
State Vice-Captain
Hashim Amla had a huge downfall too.
Arachnödouche2.0
U19 Debutant
Probably only Botham as a comparably big-enough name of his time, but Kohli's fall has been positively Shakespearean considering his stature and the immense arrogance/confidence/dickishness on which he made his name. At least Botham went to seed physically to an extent where you could safely predict he wouldn't amount to much on the field, but Kohli still looks as trim as ever, probably works his butt off as much as ever too if not more. And yet there's something yanking his strings otherways. I think he has Kaal Sarpa Dosh.
Betterpolo
School Boy/Girl Captain
Lots of people who have had great starts, or even just individual performances, but don't imagine that's what the OP is getting at (although interesting thread in its own right).
In the modern day it is Babar Azam who seems to be doing his best to emulate Kohli. Otherwise, a resounding yes to Botham. His career could be categories into the following stages:
1. Quite often influencing series with bat and ball and looking world class
2. Increasingly influencing series with bat or ball but less often both
3. Not influencing series much but having occasional very good performances
4. Living off memory and reputation, the odd great moment like conning a couple of Kiwis into donating their wickets but huge gaps in-between
Many memorable high points, the lowest is maybe wearing those t-shirts around a Caribbean pool. A long, long tail to his career though, such was the downward trajectory he even eventually ended up supporting Brexit which felt symbolic.
In the modern day it is Babar Azam who seems to be doing his best to emulate Kohli. Otherwise, a resounding yes to Botham. His career could be categories into the following stages:
1. Quite often influencing series with bat and ball and looking world class
2. Increasingly influencing series with bat or ball but less often both
3. Not influencing series much but having occasional very good performances
4. Living off memory and reputation, the odd great moment like conning a couple of Kiwis into donating their wickets but huge gaps in-between
Many memorable high points, the lowest is maybe wearing those t-shirts around a Caribbean pool. A long, long tail to his career though, such was the downward trajectory he even eventually ended up supporting Brexit which felt symbolic.
Fuller Pilch
Hall of Fame Member
Matty Sinclair
Statistically, Botham averaged 28-36 over the latter half of his career, which is pretty mediocre compared to the 37-21 in the first half. However, quite a few bits and pieces players have had reasonably long careers with a similar set of stats.
I think Kohli's 32 over 41 tests is considerably more substandard.
I think Kohli's 32 over 41 tests is considerably more substandard.