The Greatest of them all.....Who will it be ? (T..D..P..K then the big S)

[ManWatKen]

Who will take the Honours the day it all ends. Who will be the biggest Test-match run scorer in the histoty of the game ???

Will it be Ponting, Dravid, Kallis or someone else. It's a pitty that India and South Africa don't play as much as Australia, but i think its "game-on" and anyone of these 3 can take the Top honours by the time they retires.

Just to show you how close they are, here's the progressive scores after each 10 inn. bat.

**Dravid (33),Ponting (31) & Kallis (30) Progressive scores after every 10 inn. bat.

After 10 inn. bat
Dravid: 402
Ponting: 330
Kallis: 234

After 20 inn. bat
Dravid:908
Ponting: 795
Kallis: 487

After 30 inn. bat
Dravid: 1420
Ponting: 1119
Kallis: 842

After 40 inn. bat
Dravid: 2023
Ponting: 1473
Kallis: 1327

After 50 inn. bat
Dravid: 2540
Ponting: 2004
Kallis: 1780

After 60 inn. bat
Dravid: 2727
Ponting: 2461
Kallis: 2287

After 70 inn. bat
Dravid: 3331
Kallis: 2678
Ponting: 2535

After 80 inn. bat
Dravid: 3871
Ponting: 3135
Kallis: 2901

After 90 inn. bat
Dravid: 4228
Ponting: 3646
Kallis: 3612

After 100 inn. bat
Dravid: 4607
Ponting: 4253
Kallis: 3971

After 110 inn. bat
Dravid: 5435
Ponting: 5062
Kallis: 4532

After 120 inn. bat
Dravid: 5909
Ponting: 5842
Kallis: 5153

After 130 inn. bat
Dravid: 6546
Ponting: 6160
Kallis: 5899

After 140 inn. bat
Dravid: 6995
Ponting: 6750
Kallis: 6431

After 150 inn. bat
Dravid: 7680
Ponting: 7226
Kallis: 6945

After 160 inn. bat
Dravid: 8234
Ponting: 7738
Kallis: 7563


And some other interesting stats between them:

**Lowest % of ducks per inn.
Dravid: 3.68%

**Most number of runs in 10 consecutive inn.
Kallis: 1065 @ 152.14

**Least number of runs in 10 consecutive inn.
Ponting: 77 @ 7.70

**Highest % of undefeated inn.
Kallis: 17.39% (1 every 5.75 inn)

**Highest at bat (runs/inn)
Dravid: 50.577

**Highest average
Ponting: 57.713....very close...57.650 Dravid and Kallis 57.241

**Best conversion rate of inn to 50's
Kallis: 37.88% (1 every 2.64 inn)

**Best conversion rate of inn to 100's
Ponting: 14.28% (1 every 5.93 inn)

**Most runs between 2 dismissals
Dravid: 473 (Kallis 456)

*******Not much in it between them, the winner will take it all ONLY LONG AFTER TENDULKAR RETIRE. After that no one will catch Graeme Smith the day he go pass the Dravid/Ponting/Kallis record*******

AND THEN THE WORLD WILL END WITH SMITH THE ULTIMATE BATTING CHAMP WITH SOME 55 100's, 55 50's AND 17000+ TEST RUNS

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

lol, go Smithy go!

 

[marc71178]

I don't think Tendulkar will overhaul Lara actually.

 

[Armadillo]

Marc, Lara is almost 37 and about to retire, Tendulkar is almost 33 and not about to do so any time soon.

Lara 121 214 6 11204 400* 53.86 18506 60.54 31 46 1468 78 148 0
Tendulkar 129 206 21 10386 248* 56.14 35 41 41 81 0

About a thousand runs between them and Lara is 4 years older, I think Tendulkar will catch up.

 

[simmy]

Who will take the Honours the day it all ends. Who will be the biggest Test-match run scorer in the histoty of the game ???

Will it be Ponting, Dravid, Kallis or someone else. It's a pitty that India and South Africa don't play as much as Australia, but i think its "game-on" and anyone of these 3 can take the Top honours by the time they retires.

Just to show you how close they are, here's the progressive scores after each 10 inn. bat.

**Dravid (33),Ponting (31) & Kallis (30) Progressive scores after every 10 inn. bat.

After 10 inn. bat
Dravid: 402
Ponting: 330
Kallis: 234

After 20 inn. bat
Dravid:908
Ponting: 795
Kallis: 487

After 30 inn. bat
Dravid: 1420
Ponting: 1119
Kallis: 842

After 40 inn. bat
Dravid: 2023
Ponting: 1473
Kallis: 1327

After 50 inn. bat
Dravid: 2540
Ponting: 2004
Kallis: 1780

After 60 inn. bat
Dravid: 2727
Ponting: 2461
Kallis: 2287

After 70 inn. bat
Dravid: 3331
Kallis: 2678
Ponting: 2535

After 80 inn. bat
Dravid: 3871
Ponting: 3135
Kallis: 2901

After 90 inn. bat
Dravid: 4228
Ponting: 3646
Kallis: 3612

After 100 inn. bat
Dravid: 4607
Ponting: 4253
Kallis: 3971

After 110 inn. bat
Dravid: 5435
Ponting: 5062
Kallis: 4532

After 120 inn. bat
Dravid: 5909
Ponting: 5842
Kallis: 5153

After 130 inn. bat
Dravid: 6546
Ponting: 6160
Kallis: 5899

After 140 inn. bat
Dravid: 6995
Ponting: 6750
Kallis: 6431

After 150 inn. bat
Dravid: 7680
Ponting: 7226
Kallis: 6945

After 160 inn. bat
Dravid: 8234
Ponting: 7738
Kallis: 7563


And some other interesting stats between them:

**Lowest % of ducks per inn.
Dravid: 3.68%

**Most number of runs in 10 consecutive inn.
Kallis: 1065 @ 152.14

**Least number of runs in 10 consecutive inn.
Ponting: 77 @ 7.70

**Highest % of undefeated inn.
Kallis: 17.39% (1 every 5.75 inn)

**Highest at bat (runs/inn)
Dravid: 50.577

**Highest average
Ponting: 57.713....very close...57.650 Dravid and Kallis 57.241

**Best conversion rate of inn to 50's
Kallis: 37.88% (1 every 2.64 inn)

**Best conversion rate of inn to 100's
Ponting: 14.28% (1 every 5.93 inn)

**Most runs between 2 dismissals
Dravid: 473 (Kallis 456)

*******Not much in it between them, the winner will take it all ONLY LONG AFTER TENDULKAR RETIRE. After that no one will catch Graeme Smith the day he go pass the Dravid/Ponting/Kallis record*******

AND THEN THE WORLD WILL END WITH SMITH THE ULTIMATE BATTING CHAMP WITH SOME 55 100's, 55 50's AND 17000+ TEST RUNS

You might be South African but I still don't see how anyone can LIKE Graeme Smith.

The man's an idiot.

 

[Langeveldt]

You might be South African but I still don't see how anyone can LIKE Graeme Smith.

The man's an idiot.

Its a hot talking point.. I can stand him, but would like Polly as captain.. I don't like loudmouths..

I think kallis will overhaul everyone, isn't he a lot younger than the other two?

 

[marc71178]

Marc, Lara is almost 37 and about to retire, Tendulkar is almost 33 and not about to do so any time soon.

Not so long ago they were neck and neck, but only one of them is continuing to play the same way we know - they've both been playing Internationals for about the same length of time, so age is less relevant IMO. 32 he may be, but playing for 16 years at the highest level is far more relevant.

 

[C_C]

Not so long ago they were neck and neck, but only one of them is continuing to play the same way we know - they've both been playing Internationals for about the same length of time, so age is less relevant IMO. 32 he may be, but playing for 16 years at the highest level is far more relevant.

Actually Tendulkar has played regularly for almost 17 years, Lara for about 14

 

[marc71178]

Which only further makes the age less relevant.

 

[C_C]

Which only further makes the age less relevant.

I think age is relevant as to how long one would continue...obviously there are early retirees and late hanger-ons...but with modern day fitness and conditioning, i dont expect batsmen to retire (not atleast in the case of legendary ones like Tendulkar or Lara, for they can be back with a bang in no time) before 36-37 years of age....
Lara realistically has about a year-year and half left before he hangs it up ( i think he's made comments in the past about 2007 CWC being his last international sojourn)... Tendulkar has another 4-5 years to go or so. Besides, IND are scheduled to play a lot more than WI this year and the next, even with the ICC 5-year plan in place. With the BCCI move, if anything teams like WI will be marginalised...overall i really dont see Lara retiring with more runs than Tendulkar.

 

[marc71178]

How can you be sure that someone who is already showing the signs of ageing is going to play another 4-5 years, yet someone who is batting as well as ever will retire in the near future?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Marc, Lara is almost 37 and about to retire, Tendulkar is almost 33 and not about to do so any time soon.

Lara 121 214 6 11204 400* 53.86 18506 60.54 31 46 1468 78 148 0
Tendulkar 129 206 21 10386 248* 56.14 35 41 41 81 0

About a thousand runs between them and Lara is 4 years older, I think Tendulkar will catch up.

Unless there's a notable reversal of form for each player, that gap will widen a fair bit by the time Lara is done. Tendulkar is still in with a shot for the sake of longevity though.

 

[benchmark00]

On the topic of Smith, i like him, i like his attitude and his captaincy style. What he did in Sydney was brilliant, not to mention his captaincy during the VB series. Seems to love a laugh too.

On the topic of leading runs? Punter has to be a show doesnt he? provided he keeps his form up ofcourse. Age seems to be on his side.

 

[marc71178]

I think Ponting will take over from Lara - and could hold it for a long time as he's another who's showing no real signs of slowing up (almost the reverse actually), even when things were a bit against him in the Ashes, he still got runs on the board.

 

[Top_Cat]

Yep, Punter has to be in with a show. Tendy is only 32 but boy, injuries seem to be taking their toll on him. From what I've seen in the last two years, he's nowhere near the player he was. I predict a slow decline for him just because of his physical decline. Lara, I think, will probably have a very sudden fall. He'll be batting like he did in Adelaide and then he'll have a run of outs, realise he's lost it and quit.

 

[Pratters]

Not so long ago they were neck and neck, but only one of them is continuing to play the same way we know - they've both been playing Internationals for about the same length of time, so age is less relevant IMO. 32 he may be, but playing for 16 years at the highest level is far more relevant.

It has more to do with the fact that India has played less tests compared with some other nations. It hasn't helped that Tendulkar went through an injury period in his career reently (only a handful of players have thorugh a career without a period where they missed tests) If India had played the number of tests Australia has played in the last 16 years for example, imagine how many runs a Tendulkar would have had.

Aussies have been more likely to hold these records for the simple fact that they have been playing tests a lot more than most other nations.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Yep, Punter has to be in with a show. Tendy is only 32 but boy, injuries seem to be taking their toll on him. From what I've seen in the last two years, he's nowhere near the player he was. I predict a slow decline for him just because of his physical decline. Lara, I think, will probably have a very sudden fall. He'll be batting like he did in Adelaide and then he'll have a run of outs, realise he's lost it and quit.

I don't think Lara will leave when "he's lost it". I think he's set his mind on retiring after the WC next year. I think he could score a fair few more runs before then, especially if he's out of the ODI side. My prediction is Lara will retire on top of his game, as he currently is.

 

[Jono]

Tendulkar may not be what he was in the 90s, and his aggression may have been reduced along with him suffering a few injuries, but the fact of the matter is, when he is playing and not nursing an injury, he still gets plenty of runs. Does he get them as frequently and as consistently as he did up until 2002? No. But in one of his most inconsistent years of his career, 2004, he still scored 915 runs.

Tendulkar will eventually retire from ODI cricket, possibly after the WC, maybe by 2008, and by then he will have stretched his career ODI runs record even further. Already 14000+ now. That will allow him to only play tests, and with the BCCI seemingly wanting India to play more tests now than ever (unlike say in 2003 when India only played 5), I feel he'll eventually take Lara's record and hold both the test and ODI career run records.

After that it could be any of the big 3. Ponting, Dravid and Kallis all have a shot, I'd probably back Kallis to do it because he's younger but any of the 3 are fair bets. All depends how long Sachin goes for IMO. People talk about Ponting and Dravid's form now, but there's no reason they won't slow down in 2 years time if a serious injury stops them in their tracks. Its all well and good going "Well Ponting is tonning up almost every test now, he'll easily get the record", I bet everyone was saying that about Sachin at around 2002 when he was still young yet had so many runs under his belt. The fact of the matter is, age catches up suddenly, and so can an injury. They're in their peak now, and it won't last forever.

 

[marc71178]

It has more to do with the fact that India has played less tests compared with some other nations.

Right, so that will explain how since 2004, Tendulkar has played 19 Tests compared to 21 from Lara - clearly those 2 Tests are the only reason that Lara has pulled almost 1000 runs clear?

 

[marc71178]

But in one of his most inconsistent years of his career, 2004, he still scored 915 runs.

Thanks mainly to Bangladesh and an Aussie 'B' string.