Best Indian ODI Batsman of All Time.

[Cricketman]

We're not talking about right now, we're talking about all time - which implies that we are looking at overall careers rather than form.

If not, I'd have Agarkar as a better batsman than like, Vengsarkar.

 

[Leggie]

But hasn't Sehwag been better than Dravid for like more than a year now? Surely that's not just form. Not implying anything btw.

 

[Cricketman]

Dravid was India's best and most reliable batsman for the best part of a decade.

I can't believe how an entire career and reputation simply vanishes with one, slightly long but ONLY, dip in form.

 

[max_dillon2007]

Whats the point of even discussing dravid when everyone would take Sachin over him anyday.

 

[Cricketman]

Uhh, no I wouldn't. Dravid has been about 20x more reliable, and essentially the most important batsman in both the Test and ODI units for his entire career.

You put freaking Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in, but Rahul Dravid doesn't get a mention. Blasphemy.

 

[max_dillon2007]

Dravid never destroyed oppositions like tendulkar did. As far as who has won more matches is concerened, well its only a myth that tendulkar plays for himself and most of his centuries come in losing matches. Well Tendulkar has scored 30 centuries in the matches idai has won. that is more that 75 percent of his overall tally.

max_dillon2007 added 2 Minutes and 35 Seconds later...

Well, let us consider a pure hypothetical example Cricketman. Suppose you are kidnapped by a cricket crazy guy. He says that your life will be spared only if a Batsman score 140 in next 10 overs. Would you choose Dravid or Tendulkar????

 

[Cricketman]

I never said Sachin played for himself. I'm a huge fan of Sachin. Dravid has been more important though. Every time, EVERY SINGLE time India has been in trouble, all of us fans always had that glimmer of hope - Dravid was still there. The Wall. Mr. Dependable. He'd guide us through this storm, grueling down the opponent, picking up ones, twos, and always putting the bad ball away.

You don't need to destroy oppositions to be a better batsman. Dravid had a different style, a style that worked.

I'm not necessarily saying that Dravid was better, but he is as good as Tendulkar. Way better in tests though.

Cricketman added 2 Minutes and 34 Seconds later...

Well, let us consider a pure hypothetical example Cricketman. Suppose you are kidnapped by a cricket crazy guy. He says that your life will be spared only if a Batsman score 140 in next 10 overs. Would you choose Dravid or Tendulkar????

I would choose Tendulkar. But how often do you have a chance of winning in an ODI when you require 140 in 10 overs? Consider this scenario - you are 70/5 in the 20th over. You have a young, inexperienced batsman at one end (Think early Mohommad Kaif) and either Dravid or Tendulkar at the other. I'd love either, but who would you rather have to weather through the storm and guide the ship to safe seas?

I've stood by this for as long as I can remember - If I had to choose one batsman to bat for my life, it would be Rahul Dravid.

 

[King Pietersen]

Sachin averaged fifty when batting number 2, if that's not dependable, then I don't know what is. Sachin's one of the greats of the One Day game, Dravid's just a fantastic batsman, I wouldn't have him in an all-time XI personally. I'd go for a line-up something like:

Matthew Hayden
Sachin Tendulkar
Sir Viv Richards
Jacques Kallis
Kevin Pietersen
Adam Gilchrist/MS Dhoni (I'd be tempted to go with Dhoni actually, due to his success batting down the order)
Andrew Flintoff
Shaun Pollock
Wasim Akram
Muttiah Muralitharan
Glenn McGrath

Pretty impressive line-up that.

 

[Cricketman]

Dravid is basically a Kallis. I'd rate Dravid a fair bit higher though.

And probably Kapil ahead of Flintoff too.

 

[King Pietersen]

Kallis' bowling and superior batting average puts him into the team for me. As for Dev-Flintoff, Flintoff's record is better in both batting and bowling. Average of 9 higher when batting, and a bowling average 3 runs better. Far better strike rate as well, and Flintoff's probably the 2nd best death bowler in the world atm (after Zaheer Khan).

I wasn't going to put Pietersen in the side either, until I checked the ODi career best batting averages, whereby Pietersen sits in 3rd, behind just Hussey and Bevan, both have far more not outs. Pietersen is then followed by Dhoni (again assisted by batting down the order and not outs), then Zaheer Abbas and Sir Viv. Pietersen's got an outstanding ODi record.

 

[max_dillon2007]

I never said Sachin played for himself. I'm a huge fan of Sachin. Dravid has been more important though. Every time, EVERY SINGLE time India has been in trouble, all of us fans always had that glimmer of hope - Dravid was still there. The Wall. Mr. Dependable. He'd guide us through this storm, grueling down the opponent, picking up ones, twos, and always putting the bad ball away.

You don't need to destroy oppositions to be a better batsman. Dravid had a different style, a style that worked.

I'm not necessarily saying that Dravid was better, but he is as good as Tendulkar. Way better in tests though.

Well every single time??? In 2003 world cup tendulkar carried India to finals Single handedly. In final Master failed,all eyes upon THE WALL which prooved to be a wall of sand rather than concrete in that match.

Freaking Sehwag and Gambhir were playing mendis comfortably. Sehwag even went on to score 200*. While Your THE WALL was crumbling throughout the tour.

The WALL Could only score a single dogged fifty in the Test series against AUS. Wher tendulkar scored 2 centuries. Even Bhajji Scored 4 fifties.

In test serie against england, india needed Dravid to help sachin chasing the big score in 4th innings, instead it was left to Sachin and Yuvraj.

So where was your wall in these matches. I can give countless examples. I can give more examples of sachin Winning matches for india sigle handedly than you can give Dravid winning. 55 Man of the Match awards of Sachin are an indicator themselve,as this means sachin wins a match single handedly in every 7 games he plays for india. In ODI Sachin is miles ahead of dravid. in test dravid may came close but even here tendulkar is better.


P.S: Bradman Included Tendulkar in his dream XI not Dravid. So End Of Discussion here.

max_dillon2007 added 3 Minutes and 55 Seconds later...

Dan, your Eleven looks like mine but bowling lacks a bowler with serious pace. I'd rather choose one between pollock or macgrath as they both are similar bowlers.

 

[shravi]

Well every single time??? In 2003 world cup tendulkar carried India to finals Single handedly. In final Master failed,all eyes upon THE WALL which prooved to be a wall of sand rather than concrete in that match.

Freaking Sehwag and Gambhir were playing mendis comfortably. Sehwag even went on to score 200*. While Your THE WALL was crumbling throughout the tour.

The WALL Could only score a single dogged fifty in the Test series against AUS. Wher tendulkar scored 2 centuries. Even Bhajji Scored 4 fifties.

In test serie against england, india needed Dravid to help sachin chasing the big score in 4th innings, instead it was left to Sachin and Yuvraj.

So where was your wall in these matches. I can give countless examples. I can give more examples of sachin Winning matches for india sigle handedly than you can give Dravid winning. 55 Man of the Match awards of Sachin are an indicator themselve,as this means sachin wins a match single handedly in every 7 games he plays for india. In ODI Sachin is miles ahead of dravid. in test dravid may came close but even here tendulkar is better.


P.S: Bradman Included Tendulkar in his dream XI not Dravid. So End Of Discussion here.

LOL, at the first example. In the WC2003 final Dravid was the only one who held up a fight along with Virender Sehwag. He had nothing to work with.

The rest of your examples are all from the last year. They are not indicative of Dravid's class and he didn't even play ODIs in that period of time. Moreover, this isn't about test matches. You created the thread; you should know that. If we do take test matches into consideration then Dravid edges Sachin, simply for his consistency. He has had only one bad patch in his entire career and that is why it is being highlighted with such ignorance. Nobody expects Dravid to fail like this and that is a measure of his greatness.

 

[max_dillon2007]

Cricketman You would be R.I.P if you choose Dravid at the moment to play for your life.(against mendis )

 

[Cricketman]

Yeah, he is in some bad form. But if I had to choose Dravid at his very best? I'd be alive and kicking.

 

[max_dillon2007]

Here are some ODI Facts:

Performance in the matches India Has Won:

Rahul Dravid:
Match: 157
Runs:5672
Avg:51.56
100:8

Sachin tendulkar:
Match: 211
Runs:9957
Avg:56.25
100:30

max_dillon2007 added 1 Minutes and 44 Seconds later...

Yeah, he is in some bad form. But if I had to choose Dravid at his very best? I'd be alive and kicking.

Choose Tendulkar from 1998 and you would be more than just alive and kicking. Opposition would try to secure a draw now as no target would be big enough. Who can forget those Sharjah Innings.

max_dillon2007 added 4 Minutes and 42 Seconds later...

Performance Against Australia:

Rahul Dravid:
Match: 42
Runs:974
Avg:24.97
100:0

Sachin tendulkar:
Match: 60
Runs:2730
Avg:46.25
100:8

What happened to your THE WALL against the best team in the world. Dont we need A WALL against Australia?? Dont say that its just one team agaist which he is poor, well acording to your cricketman he is the most reliable batsman, then why isnt he performing against the best.