Steve Smith vs Brian Lara: Rank these series performances

[subshakerz]

Lara and Smith are responsible for some of the greatest series performances of all-time. Wondering how and why you would rank the following:

a) Lara vs Australia1999
b) Lara vs Sri Lanka 2001
c) Smith vs India 2017
d) Smith in the Ashes 2019

Frankly, I find it hard to separate a and d for top position and b and c for next.

 

[honestbharani]

b
d
a
c

 

[mr_mister]

Lara's 1995 series in England flies under the radar a bit

765 runs at 85 striking at 77 across the series. In an away series

 

[honestbharani]

Lara's 1995 series in England flies under the radar a bit

765 runs at 85 striking at 77 across the series. In an away series

The famous "they cant get you out unless you let them" or whatever line from Curtly Ambrose.

 

[subshakerz]

Lara's 1995 series in England flies under the radar a bit

765 runs at 85 striking at 77 across the series. In an away series

True but that attack wasnt really that impressive.

 

[mr_mister]

It was Cork/Fraser and one of Gough or Malcolm every test. No notable spinner but I think England's attack back then wasn't much worse than the attack Smith got his runs against in 2019

It was England's batting rather than bowling that I think was their real weak link in the 90s, they had a core group of pacers who at least averaged under 30

 

[_00_deathscar]

It was Cork/Fraser and one of Gough or Malcolm every test. No notable spinner but I think England's attack back then wasn't much worse than the attack Smith got his runs against in 2019

It was England's batting rather than bowling that I think was their real weak link in the 90s, they had a core group of pacers who at least averaged under 30

Unlike now…

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

It was Cork/Fraser and one of Gough or Malcolm every test. No notable spinner but I think England's attack back then wasn't much worse than the attack Smith got his runs against in 2019

It was England's batting rather than bowling that I think was their real weak link in the 90s, they had a core group of pacers who at least averaged under 30

Yeah, the 'Angus' in Keemo Paul's name is his father's homage to the great England bowler.

 

[Bijed]

It was Cork/Fraser and one of Gough or Malcolm every test. No notable spinner but I think England's attack back then wasn't much worse than the attack Smith got his runs against in 2019

It was England's batting rather than bowling that I think was their real weak link in the 90s, they had a core group of pacers who at least averaged under 30

Yeah, I'd agree with this. I was either unborn or too young to remember cricket throughout the 90s, but from various scorecards I've looked at, it looks like our bowling tended to be broadly test standard, but our batting pretty mediocre

 

[Nikhil99.94]

Lara and Smith are responsible for some of the greatest series performances of all-time. Wondering how and why you would rank the following:

a) Lara vs Australia1999
b) Lara vs Sri Lanka 2001
c) Smith vs India 2017
d) Smith in the Ashes 2019

Frankly, I find it hard to separate a and d for top position and b and c for next.

As per batting performance alone
1.Lara vs sl(destroyed vaas when he was unbelievable in that series +murali )
After considering the matches results +circumstances after Steve’s comeback
1.Smith in the ashes
As a whole I will say both are even.Cant separate.It’s just impossible to separate the two series.
1st-tie, smith 2019 ,lara in sl
Then will be lara vs aus 1999 ,for sure

 

[subshakerz]

As per batting performance alone
1.Lara vs sl(destroyed vaas when he was unbelievable in that series +murali )
After considering the matches results +circumstances after Steve’s comeback
1.Smith in the ashes
As a whole I will say both are even.Cant separate.It’s just impossible to separate the two series.
1st-tie, smith 2019 ,lara in sl
Then will be lara vs aus 1999 ,for sure

Interesting. I always rated Lara series in 99 higher given the quality of that attack plus the fact that in two of the tests WI would have definitely have never won if Lara didnt score.

Regarding Steve 2019 vs Lara 2001, would the fact that Smiths runs made the difference in the scoreline matter more? Since Australia had lost the last four Ashes in England until that point.

 

[Slifer]

Seriously:
Lara 99
Lara 2001
Smith 2017
Smith 2019

Not only was Lara playing and fighting for his career vs an atg attack he was facing the undisputed best team in cricket, fresh off of a 5-0 drubbing in RSA. He's put on captaincy probation for two tests, loses the first embarrassingly then goes into super saiyan mode.

 

[subshakerz]

Seriously:
Lara 99
Lara 2001
Smith 2017
Smith 2019

Not only was Lara playing and fighting for his career vs an atg attack he was facing the undisputed best team in cricket, fresh off of a 5-0 drubbing in RSA. He's put on captaincy probation for two tests, loses the first embarrassingly then goes into super saiyan mode.

Any reason you rank Smith in India better than Smith in England?

 

[Slifer]

Any reason you rank Smith in India better than Smith in England?

Two reasons, there used to be an extremely annoying poster who went by the name Blocky. Very anti Smith. Most of us considered Smith to be the undisputed best in the business b4 that series. But not Blocky for some absurd reasons. Anyway, we all told him Smith would make runs , he disagreed. We all saw what Smith did.

Imo (just my opinion) India at home with Jadeja and Ashwin is as tough as it gets in tests. Hence my ranking.

 

[honestbharani]

He's put on captaincy probation for two tests, loses the first embarrassingly then goes into super saiyan mode.

Never forget he was run out in freakish circumstances after a 60 odd in Jamaica first innings. I am pretty sure that would have been a 100 too otherwise.

 

[subshakerz]

Never forget he was run out in freakish circumstances after a 60 odd in Jamaica first innings. I am pretty sure that would have been a 100 too otherwise.

I dont think there has been another batsman who played two ATG innings and another world class knock in succession. I consider that series to be one of the greatest achievements of batsmenship ever, even higher than his Sri Lanka 2001 exploits.

 

[honestbharani]

No arguments here. I still think Lara is the best batsman I have ever seen.

 

[Nikhil99.94]

((Interesting. I always rated Lara series in 99 higher given the quality of that attack plus the fact that in two of the tests WI would have definitely have never won if Lara didnt score.
Regarding Steve 2019 vs Lara 2001, would the fact that Smiths runs made the difference in the scoreline matter more? Since Australia had lost the last four Ashes in England until that point.))

As I said,lara in sl was the best I have ever seen.Purely going by batting lara in sl , was better,no doubt.
Regarding smith 2019 vs lara vs aus.Smiths runs were very important like lara .had smith not scored like Australia were gonna be destroyed in the 1st match.They weren’t gonna retain the ashes if smith hadn’t played .
When you are comparing a top 10 series of all time it’s purely your opinion.It’s like ranking top 10 greatest fast bowler of all time.