Virender Sehwag vs Alastair Cook

[PlayerComparisons]

Two batsmen that struggled against lateral movement

 

[Johan]

Cook, way less of a weakness against pace bowling and while Sehwag is better against spin, I say the gap in their pace playing capabilities is way bigger.

Cook himself has some flaws against pace bowling, medium pacers who move the ball a lot regularly troubled him, as well as someone like Morkel with his fast and awkward bounce, but he did very well against all other pacers, Steyn/Rabada/Cummins included.

 

[BazBall21]

Cook. He did a good job opening in England and was very good in the conditions where Sehwag excelled. Sehwag's average when opening in England, South Africa and New Zealand is tailender level. Seeing off the new ball when there's extra lateral movement is an imperative test for opening batsmen.

 

[shortpitched713]

Overrated Test spam Dad's money type player is Alistair Cook. Sehwag was a destroyer and won games. Should be pretty straightforward.

 

[Johan]

Overrated Test spam Dad's money type player is Alistair Cook. Sehwag was a destroyer and won games. Should be pretty straightforward.

Don't know what this is supposed to mean, Cook won us our last away Ashes and was the force behind the 2012 India win. Cook has 17 out of 33 centuries in victory and Sehwag has 8 out of 23 in victories, saying Cook wasn't a matchwinner is admission you never watched his career.

Beside those two serieses, Old Trafford 2007, Galle 2007, kingsmead 2009 are all examples of early match winning/defining/saving knocks from him, his whole claim to fame was his ability to bat teams out of matches.

infact, the literal last inning of his career was a match winning one against Bumrah, Shami and Ishant.

 

[BazBall21]

Yeah and I think Test spam likely caused Cook some fatigue. That and the start of the 'pace pandemic'.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

It’s closer than the averages suggest. Cook had slightly tougher conditions and better longevity.

 

[Johan]

Sehwag was cooked by 34 with a lighter schedule and no captaincy pressure, put him in Cook's position and he is done by 30.

 

[subshakerz]

Cook is simply a better test opener despite being boring. Fundamentally better at seeing off the new ball.

 

[Majestic]

Cook is better here just like how he is better than Mr. Williamson.

 

[Thala_0710]

Overrated Test spam Dad's money type player is Alistair Cook. Sehwag was a destroyer and won games. Should be pretty straightforward.

Calling someone not a match winner just because he didn't play at a high strike is simply wrong. One can win series' and matches by making big runs while not "destroying" bowlers. Cook was arguably the best batsman in away ENG series wins in IND and AUS and was technically superior as well. And in test cricket, especially as opener, just playing more deliveries or taking the shine off the new ball has value in itself too.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

Cook is arguably the most important English batsman/player of the modern era

 

[Johan]

Cook is arguably the most important English batsman/player of the modern era

Root and Anderson:

 

[PlayerComparisons]

Root and Anderson:

Yea they’re definitely better players. But Cook’s series in Australia and India were more important than anything they did although Anderson contributed to those series wins as well. Just shows Cook is probably slightly underrated.

 

[ma1978]

Sehwag is the greatest batsman to ever play in the subcontinent. What he did elsewhere is interesting but when someone is so strong at one thing, it can be allowed to define them.

 

[Johan]

Sehwag can be defined as one of the greatest players of spin bowling ever, There is nothing wrong with that, if anything that's an objective thing, but when comparing with another great player of Spin (Cook averages 53 in Asia over 55 innings), is the advantage Sehwag has of being a greater player of spin enough to discount the disadvantage he has of being a vastly, vastly inferior player of pace? In my opinion, No.

 

[Chin Music]

Sehwag was cooked by 34 with a lighter schedule and no captaincy pressure, put him in Cook's position and he is done by 30.

Lighter schedule? Sure in test cricket, but Sehwag played a heck of a lot in ODIs? Cook was jettisoned (belatedly) from the England ODI team because he stank for a couple of years, even as captain. I give it to Cook as he's a better player in all conditions, although not by much.

 

[Silver Silva]

Would be an excellent opening partnership this

 

[ma1978]

I think both Cook and Sehwag are underrated here. Really I could make arguments for each of Sehwag, Cook, Hayden and Smith being the best. And all ahead of Boycott and behind Greenidge.

 

[Redbacks]

Sehwag, given his strike rate, he would fit the mould of bazzball. So not only could he win a match, he could save test cricket