Vijay Merchant VS Virender Sehwag

[Cricket Bliss]

Better Batsman?
Merchant - Less samples, played equally great in India and England
Sehwag - GOAT against Off Break bowling

 

[capt_Luffy]

Sehwag had the better career (Mr Obvious here), nut somehow Merchant's Test career was 1.5x longer in span.

Now on skill, Sehwag ofcourse better in SC. But Merchant averaged a 100 in Ranji, so not think was a huge distance in skill there. And think Merchant is undoubtedly better in English like conditions (one of the last sticky masters, averages more in FC in England than anyone but Don and Black Don, including Englishmen)

 

[Johan]

skill gap is too big for me to go for Sehwag, Merchant is kinda like the Indian Barry.

 

[sayon basak]

Source:- peterhrt

Merchant faced several good bowlers in first-class cricket. Number of dismissals by the better ones (including Tests):

5 - Verity
4 - Gubby Allen
3 - Mankad, Nissar
2 - Dooland, Ghulam Ahmed
1 - Amar Singh, Bedser, Fazal Mahmood, Larwood, Ramadhin, Statham, Tribe
0 - Bailey, Bowes, Laker, Miller, Tom Pritchard, Tarrant, Voce, Jack Walsh

When one or more of these bowlers was in the opposition, Merchant scored 3762 runs at an average of 60.67, with 12 centuries.

Merchant normally opened the batting in England, but not in India. 25 of his 45 first-class hundreds came when he batted between numbers three and six.

Bedser said he was the best overseas batsman he ever saw on rain-affected English pitches.

 

[Cricket Bliss]

Source:- peterhrt

Merchant faced several good bowlers in first-class cricket. Number of dismissals by the better ones (including Tests):

5 - Verity
4 - Gubby Allen
3 - Mankad, Nissar
2 - Dooland, Ghulam Ahmed
1 - Amar Singh, Bedser, Fazal Mahmood, Larwood, Ramadhin, Statham, Tribe
0 - Bailey, Bowes, Laker, Miller, Tom Pritchard, Tarrant, Voce, Jack Walsh

When one or more of these bowlers was in the opposition, Merchant scored 3762 runs at an average of 60.67, with 12 centuries.

Merchant normally opened the batting in England, but not in India. 25 of his 45 first-class hundreds came when he batted between numbers three and six.

Bedser said he was the best overseas batsman he ever saw on rain-affected English pitches.

Is there any source depicting how much batsmen averaged in sticky wickets both in Tests and First Class

 

[sayon basak]

Is there any source depicting how much batsmen averaged in sticky wickets both in Tests and First Class

Do not think so.

 

[Thala_0710]

skill gap is too big for me to go for Sehwag, Merchant is kinda like the Indian Barry.

He is kinda like the Indian Barry, but Barry's reputation is much superior than Merchant's.
People make a case for Barry over Gavaskar, Hutton etc but Merchant doesn't even beat Sehwag decisively. Was Barry just that much better than Vijay or is there some other reason?

 

[capt_Luffy]

He is kinda like the Indian Barry, but Barry's reputation is much superior than Merchant's.
People make a case for Barry over Gavaskar, Hutton etc but Merchant doesn't even beat Sehwag decisively. Was Barry just that much better than Vijay or is there some other reason?

He was an attacking bat who played multiple seasons of County, unlike someone dour like Merchant.

 

[Thala_0710]

He was an attacking bat who played multiple seasons of County, unlike someone dour like Merchant.

Is that all? Attacking vs dour? Surely there must be a significant difference in quality as well.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Is that all? Attacking vs dour? Surely there must be a significant difference in quality as well.

There might be some difference in quality, but I honestly can't think of it being significant. Merchant got significantly less exposure compared to Barry. Still, some like Alec Bedser did rate him over Gavaskar.

 

[subshakerz]

Sehwag based on longer career.

 

[Thala_0710]

Sehwag had the better test career, Merchant was the better batsman

 

[sayon basak]

Sehwag based on longer career.

The OP asks who is the better batman, Merchant is definitely better.