"No captain would take Laxman over KP". Gtfo. Nonsense exaggeration to suggest this isn't close. Also you said Laxman didn't have that 5th gear, not that KP was more attacking. The only you could think this is true is if you based it solely on career SR and not what each was capable of. Laxman could tear into great attacks. And he did.
Look at the reasons given in this thread. Basically it's:
KP never opened. Why should the opener phase of his career count against him when Laxman played for longer as a middle order bat than KP did overall? Even if we do count it Laxman had the better career anyway. It only widens the gap between them.
lol the only reason KP is brought up in these discussions despite being a 2000s bat who averaged in the mid 40s playing entirely in his peak is because of his highlight reel. VVS's highs are higher too.
Yes I was right. I also said that on this page.
We count the overall record without disregarding runs, of which Laxman played the majority at 5/6, whereas the majority of KP was at 4.
Aside from the 281, KP's highs are generally higher.
You directly contradicted yourself. Worse, you lambast me for doing the same thing you did, saying one is clearly superior to the other.
Yeah Laxman has the better top two knocks. Less sure he would win if we did top five or top ten.
Why? KP isn't a better player because he was never forced to bat out of position. And career averages don't exist in a vacuum. KP had a much shorter career which is a point you are dodging. KP batting one slot higher is a point in his favour, sure but it pales in comparison to everything else i.e VVS being better by every metric including what leads you to over rate KP.
No. Read better.
Doesn't the former imply the latter though? And no, spamming the forum with biased idiotic takes is really not something I appreciate.
Plenty more besides those. Mohali 2010, SL 2010, Durban 2010, Perth 2008, Calcutta 2001, Ahmedabad 1996. Adelaide 2003. Sydney 2008. Better knocks can be used as a tiebreaker which this comparison doesn't necessitate anyway but VVS bests KP on this metric too.
Laxman failed as opener and was punted to the back of the order to have the more technically equipped players play out the swing and he should get more credit for that?
KP's demolition of Steyn in 2012, his Mumbai classic, his twin tons dominating Murali in 2006, his knocks against McWarne, all better.
Relatively easier than batting up the order. Even Trundler accepts this.
Irrelevant. He was a middle order batsman who was forced to open out of desperation. They tried fitting him into the side as opener and it didn't work. KP didn't have to do this so it doesn't matter. I never said he should get more credit. I said he shouldn't be marked down for it because KP never had to deal with it. KP averaged 12 as opener and since sample size doesn't matter I've decided he would've sucked as opener anyway.
Test spam beneficiary. In a 7-8 year peak period and he still only came out with a mid 40s average. Got dropped as soon as his form went which saved him from his average plummeting even more. You are faulting VVS for not being English basically. Laxman played *twice* as long. Again, averages don't exist in a vacuum and getting dropped early doesn't make one a better player.
Laxman played 30 more games yet scored 6 less tons than KP. So it's no like Laxman really had some accomplishment outstripping KP.
VVS played more classic knocks and his absolute best is better than anything KP did. And he played much longer and was much more consistent. No contest.
