Ravi Shastri's top 5 Indian Cricketers of All Time

[bagapath]

My list would be

Gavaskar
Tendulkar
Kapil
Mankad
Dravid

Next five would be

Dhoni
Bedi
Chandra
Sehwag
Kohli

Add one fast bowler, say Srinath, then my XI is complete

Gavaskar
Sehwag
Dravid
Tendulkar
Kohli
Mankad
Dhoni *+
Kapil
Srinath
Bedi
Chandra

 

[Slifer]

Gavaskar
Dev
Tendy
Dravid
Kumble

That's in no particular order. Gavaskar being left out is laughable. He's one of the big 4 test openers, I don't care how bad he was in odis. The others need no introduction.

 

[weldone]

Yea Mankad is a good shout too, but I guess Shastri considers himself a better allrounder lol.

 

[sumantra]

My list would be

Gavaskar
Tendulkar
Kapil
Mankad
Dravid

Next five would be

Dhoni
Bedi
Chandra
Sehwag
Kohli

Add one fast bowler, say Srinath, then my XI is complete

Gavaskar
Sehwag
Dravid
Tendulkar
Kohli
Mankad
Dhoni *+
Kapil
Srinath
Bedi
Chandra

No Kumble in top 10, that's really something...

 

[cnerd123]

It's one thing for us cricket geeks to argue and debate and be specific about formats when discussing these topics but when former cricketers, coaches are asked these questions in interviews, they are not going to go into geek mode and ask which format or weigh Kohli in ODIs vs Dravid/Kumble in Tests.

I for one know that if I am ever to become an international cricketer (shut up I'm young it can still happen) I am definitely going to bust out statsguru if anyone asks me a question like this.

 

[Shri]

1. Tendulkar
2. Dhoni
3. Kapil
4. Dravid
5. Ashwin

 

[weldone]

Also, it's surprising to see that Ravi Shastri's list of best 5 Indian cricketers doesn't include Ravi Shastri!

 

[oblongballs]

Lots of talk on Sunny as an ODI cricketer and yes, by modern standards he wouldn't be picked BUT it is important to remember the time he played in, the types of Indian teams he played in (they really weren't that good in the 80s, especially as an ODI nation). He often held up an end remarkably well and faced a lot of deliveries. Couple that with a test career superior to most batsmen from India, it is hard to disqualify him.

If Kohli's test career ends better than Sunny's then yeah, he could replace him in an all cricket list.

 

[weldone]

Nah, Sunny's ODI career was a disgrace in his era also. He was terrible - a poor man's version of Kraigg Brathwaite or Cheteshwar Pujara in ODIs

 

[jimmy101]

They did win the World Cup in 83, and then the world championship of cricket, in 1985. Pretty good going if you ask me.

Glad to see Mankad's name getting a mention btw. And how about Tiger Pataudi? How do you guys rate him in terms of influence on Indian cricket?

 

[oblongballs]

They did win the World Cup in 83, and then the world championship of cricket, in 1985. Pretty good going if you ask me.

Glad to see Mankad's name getting a mention btw. And how about Tiger Pataudi? How do you guys rate him in terms of influence on Indian cricket?

They won the world cup as massive underdogs and it would go down as a great tournament win, much like Leicester's premier league triumph but it is hardly defining a legacy. The best ODI sides of the 80s were the WI, Pak, Aus and Eng. India were far outside that pack in terms of bowling, batting and style of play.

 

[weldone]

And how about Tiger Pataudi? How do you guys rate him in terms of influence on Indian cricket?

He'd surely be in this list if he didn't lose an eye.

 

[jimmy101]

True. If there ever was a WC India should've won, but didn't, it's got to be 1987.

 

[weldone]

True. If there ever was a WC India should've won, but didn't, it's got to be 1987.

Ya it was meant to be India-Pakistan final. Both semifinals were upsets.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Could argue Dhoni should be number 1 on any list they make. Took a side with some great players who had underachieved and took them to the top of the tree and kept them there.

 

[weldone]

Could argue Dhoni should be number 1 on any list they make. Took a side with some great players who had underachieved and took them to the top of the tree and kept them there.

but 0-8 still hurts

 

[flibbertyjibber]

but 0-8 still hurts

That after a world cup win with an old team who had nothing left to prove and lost desire. Looking back it was an accident waiting to happen.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Dhoni deserves a lot of credit for his ODI captaincy and leading the team to a WC win. Not sure he was especially important to us getting to No.1 in tests though. The whole batting lineup just had an almost simultaneous peak post 2007 and Zaheer became a gun. The team certainly weren't underachievers in Ganguly and Dravid's captaincy at all. I'd say for a good chunk of the 2000s India were the most consistent team in the world behind Australia.

 

[Furball]

Sehwag's contribution to the number 1 Test ranking is often understated IMO.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Dhoni deserves a lot of credit for his ODI captaincy and leading the team to a WC win. Not sure he was especially important to us getting to No.1 in tests though. The whole batting lineup just had an almost simultaneous peak post 2007 and Zaheer became a gun. The team certainly weren't underachievers in Ganguly and Dravid's captaincy at all. I'd say for a good chunk of the 2000s India were the most consistent team in the world behind Australia.

Yeah but the same could be said for Kohli's captaincy too and India becoming number 1 under him. His captaincy coincided with Ashwin, Bhuvi, Shami, Pujara, Vijay, Rahane entering their peaks as players. Dhoni also had to contend with these same players at the early stage of their careers (2011-2014) when they just weren't very good.

Dhoni's legacy has been quite tarnished by 0-8 but looking back, that side was carrying a lot of old legs. More disappointing was the 2013-14 season and it doesn't surprise me looking back that Dhoni retired from test cricket at the end of it. They should have won that test in South Africa, they should not have lost 1-3 in England after being 1-0 after the first 2 tests.

I wonder whether Kohli is about to have a similar season to that. This is a side everyone is expecting to do better, and if you look at it on paper, they should do better. I thought they would lose the 1st test, but win the 2nd and maybe come out with a 1-1 draw.