Fuller Pilch
Hall of Fame Member
Not second best ever, but just ahead of Lara and Sachin.
I'd go Don, Sobers, Sanga.
I'd go Don, Sobers, Sanga.
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It does and he didnt do too well against them.No it doesn't. Not if your argument is that he didn't do well against those bowlers. You cannot be good or poor against someone you played two series ten years apart, with the first being when you turned 16!
Yet you rate Tendulkar that high when the most important thing is "innings that matter"? That's one thing against Tendulkar in Tests if there ever was one. Lara & Sanga >>>> Tendulkar in that regard.I rate Dravid on par with Sanga.
Dravid wasn't as ruthless a run accumulator, but he was every bit as good when it came to playing innings that mattered. And that matters more to me.
Sobers, Sachin and Lara are in their own class. They are geniuses. Sanga, Dravid, Kallis, Waugh, Chappell, Miandad, etc all represent the best of the rest.
It's basically just 3 categories for me:
Don
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Sachin/Sobers/Lara
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Rest of the ATGs
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Younis/Mahela/Inzy/etc
Nah not this tired old argument again.Yet you rate Tendulkar that high when the most important thing is "innings that matter"? That's one thing against Tendulkar in Tests if there ever was one. Lara & Sanga >>>> Tendulkar in that regard.
lolno Tendulkar has loads of memorable innings.You obviously meant Kallis there and had a bit of a brainfade. That's fine, I forgive you.Yet you rate Tendulkar that high when the most important thing is "innings that matter"? That's one thing against Tendulkar in Tests if there ever was one. Lara & Sanga >>>> Tendulkar in that regard.
But he did. Helping save a test from a difficult position against Imran and the Ws as a 16 year old + 136 at Chennai which is probably his greatest innings. Saying he averaged in 30s or whatever completely ignores all context from the performances.It does and he didnt do too well against them.
I agree that Sachin stands tall when it comes to longevity and consistency, but please don't bring the "quality of the team" and "quality of batsmen" argument - as I recall Dravid had no issues churning out great knocks while Sachin was in his team.Nah not this tired old argument again.
Sachin has played loads of fantastic innings. Many of them in vain due to the quality of the team around him early in his career, and many overlooked due to the quality of batsmen around him later in his career.
More importantly, Sachin's genius, consistency and longevity comfortably place him above others, even if a smaller % of his innings were memorable.
You recall wrong.I agree that Sachin stands tall when it comes to longevity and consistency, but please don't bring the "quality of the team" and "quality of batsmen" argument - as I recall Dravid had no issues churning out great knocks while Sachin was in his team.
For a career spanning 200 tests, Sachin just did not have enough great Test knocks - it's the one glaring void in his career.
He does have great test knocks. Don't think many people have difficulty naming his great innings.I agree that Sachin stands tall when it comes to longevity and consistency, but please don't bring the "quality of the team" and "quality of batsmen" argument - as I recall Dravid had no issues churning out great knocks while Sachin was in his team.
For a career spanning 200 tests, Sachin just did not have enough great Test knocks - it's the one glaring void in his career.
He was consistently good.. the typical good Sachin performance involves him getting a ton and then getting out.You recall wrong.
As for the bolded part, can you not see the flaw in that statement?
Lara had worse teammate performances yet kept churning out great knocks. I just don't buy the argument that it was Sachin's teammates fault that his great knocks weren't match-defining.He does have great test knocks. Don't think many people have difficulty naming his great innings.
The thing people miss when comparing him with Dravid is that Dravid's peak (2002-06) when he played most of his great match winning knocks were in a period when India began performing excellently away from home as a batting unit because of several other batsmen maturing. Coincidentally that was Tendulkar's minor mid-career slump. It's all about the timing of their peaks.
Imagine if Lara didn't have Walsh taking a 5-fer vs Aus at Bridgetown? His 153 becomes a losing effort like Sachin's 136. And what happened after Ambrose and Walsh retired? hey, guess what! Lara suddenly can't win matches for his team any more.He was consistently good.. the typical good Sachin performance involves him getting a ton and then getting out.
Lara had worse teammate performances yet kept churning out great knocks. I just don't buy the argument that it was Sachin's teammates fault that his great knocks weren't match-defining.
Anyway, this is a tired argument, so no point going through it again.
You couldn't be more off the mark here.He was consistently good.. the typical good Sachin performance involves him getting a ton and then getting out.
Lara had worse teammate performances yet kept churning out great knocks. I just don't buy the argument that it was Sachin's teammates fault that his great knocks weren't match-defining.
Anyway, this is a tired argument, so no point going through it again.
Can you provide some evidence?He was consistently good.. the typical good Sachin performance involves him getting a ton and then getting out.
He kept churning out great knocks.. 600+ vs Murali in SL with a 221 in the last test.. 226 vs Aus in Adelaide.. great knocks don't always end up winning you the game but they still are great knocks.Imagine if Lara didn't have Walsh taking a 5-fer vs Aus at Bridgetown? His 153 becomes a losing effort like Sachin's 136. And what happened after Ambrose and Walsh retired? hey, guess what! Lara suddenly can't win matches for his team any more.