So Smith and then daylight?

[Sea fog]

After Smith's performances this summer, surely there can be no more arguments about the world's best batsman with Root falling below expectations, and Kohli a bit of a FTB.

After these three, there is surely a lot of daylight.

#Smithworld'snumberonebyastreet

 

[SterlingArcher]

Well pretty clearly yes.

Kohli can overtake daylight by a big series in RSA (but would still be 2nd), but Smith can bring it right back into 2nd with a big series as well when we go...

Root is a class player and nice to watch but he has nowhere near the killer instinct or temperament that Smith has, not just clear from this series but overall record of 50-100s.

 

[Sea fog]

Guess Williamson belongs in this company too.

 

[010203]

I think this year will tell us everything. If Kohli performs well in India's South Africa, England and Australia, there won't be daylight between him and Smith, the gap will be minimal.

 

[Daniel B]

...and Kohli a bit of a FTB.

 

[PhatBoy]

How does Williamson not get a mention? He’s better than root and Kohli by a light year

 

[Scotland]

Cheteshwar Pujara needs a bit more love. A definite subcontinent specialist but is up to 4,396 runs @ 52.96. Had a huge 2017 with 4 100s and 5 50s. Definitely one of the form batsmen of the last two years. Hopefully he performs in RSA.

 

[Righteo]

flat track bully

Fortunately for him he has the ideal opportunity to prove people wrong with SA and their bowling attack in SA atm. I reckon he'll stand up

 

[Scotland]

How does Williamson not get a mention? He’s better than root and Kohli by a light year

"Only" averages 50-51 while Kohli and Root are pushing 53-54. That's why he gets forgotten.

 

[The Passenger]

I reckon there is pretty clear order of pecking in worldwide batting at the moment

Smith
--------
Kohli, Williamson, Root
--------
Pujara, Warner, Taylor


I would have them in that order but those on the same line can easily swap around on any given day at the moment

Pujara and Warner's struggles away from home are well documented but they are so dominant at home they push a fair way up the list. Ross Taylor continually underrated - he has had a few really good years.

For the first time in a long time the South African's don't have a single dominant batsmen but have the best batting depth of any team, especially now that De Villiers has returned (who may come back to be a star again). With him, Amla, De Kock, Du Plussis and the once-maligned Elgar it's a formidable top order. Whichever of those you consider to be their fifth best batsmen (probably De Kock) would be the best fifth-best batsmen of any country in the world - and by quite a long way IMO.

 

[PhatBoy]

"Only" averages 50-51 while Kohli and Root are pushing 53-54. That's why he gets forgotten.

Plays most of his cricket in NZ, has Ross Taylor for elite batting company (though admittedly england’s batting line up has degenerated to NZ levels in recent times), has a better away average than Kohli and averages 0.2 less than root away, hits more hundreds than root, has scored a ton against every nation and I think I’m right in saying he’s scored one in every nation he’s played in bar SA. SA aside where he failed in his only series there, his worst record is in England where he averages mid 30s but in four tests he’s still managed a century there. Even his century rate is better (3.5 matches per hundred to 4) away than at home. All those factors considered id pick him in a heartbeat over the other two at the moment

 

[Hellgood]

I don't think Williamson is forgotten about, most have them all grouped in together in a quartet but New Zealand played stuff all test cricket in 2017.

My Summer Watching the Big Four
How good is the next batting generation?
Smith v Root v Williamson v Kohli

Latter two articles there were from back in 2015.

 

[Mateyman]

Cheteshwar Pujara needs a bit more love. A definite subcontinent specialist but is up to 4,396 runs @ 52.96. Had a huge 2017 with 4 100s and 5 50s. Definitely one of the form batsmen of the last two years. Hopefully he performs in RSA.

Pujara is overrated. Averages in the 30s away from home.

 

[PhatBoy]

He’s in his 30s and has barely played in the last few years so rightly doesn’t get included in these conversations but ABDV sent a nice little reminder last night of how good he is. 3-15 or something when he walked in, slammed a counter-attacking 60 at a run a ball to completely reverse the momentum.

 

[kickazz]

He’s in his 30s and has barely played in the last few years so rightly doesn’t get included in these conversations but ABDV sent a nice little reminder last night of how good he is. 3-15 or something when he walked in, slammed a counter-attacking 60 at a run a ball to completely reverse the momentum.

Was about to ask why no love for ABDV (sorry I cannot call him AB!).

Numbers are one thing, but watching his technique and skill (especially in ODIs) has to put him into the conversation.

 

[PhatBoy]

Was about to ask why no love for ABDV (sorry I cannot call him AB!).

Numbers are one thing, but watching his technique and skill (especially in ODIs) has to put him into the conversation.

This.

He is also a remarkably unselfish player and gives the impression his numbers could be a lot better if he was more glory-driven

 

[greatwhiteshark]

I think you can call all batsman flat track bullies as that is all they play on, test after test they bat on roads. It’s not their fault but the modern era of batsman you just can’t compare with any other era who never had the luxury of playing on such flat tracks virtually every single match.

 

[PhatBoy]

I think you can call all batsman flat track bullies as that is all they play on, test after test they bat on roads. It’s not their fault but the modern era of batsman you just can’t compare with any other era who never had the luxury of playing on such flat tracks virtually every single match.

Not strictly true - SA proved last night that they can prepare a decent wicket for bowlers and it is probably the norm more than the exception over there. If you struggle against spin you will battle to do anything in Asia, and batting even for visiting teams hasn’t been particularly fruitful in the West Indies. NZ tends to fluctuate from one extreme to the other and England always has its fair share of greenish wickets.

I would say that aside from the 1970-1990 era where almost every side had a good attack to some degree, every era is replete with factors that mitigated batting figures. For example If you were an Aussie or an Englishman from 1900 through to about 1955 any time you played any nation that wasn’t England or Australia, you were essentially playing a minnow. South Africa, NZ, West Indies, India and Pakistan all had one or two world class players but little else.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Not strictly true - SA proved last night that they can prepare a decent wicket for bowlers and it is probably the norm more than the exception over there. If you struggle against spin you will battle to do anything in Asia, and batting even for visiting teams hasn’t been particularly fruitful in the West Indies. NZ tends to fluctuate from one extreme to the other and England always has its fair share of greenish wickets.

I would say that aside from the 1970-1990 era where almost every side had a good attack to some degree, every era is replete with factors that mitigated batting figures. For example If you were an Aussie or an Englishman from 1900 through to about 1955 any time you played any nation that wasn’t England or Australia, you were essentially playing a minnow. South Africa, NZ, West Indies, India and Pakistan all had one or two world class players but little else.

Batsman could not have it easier than they currently do. They have to put up wth some spin but rarely do they have to bat on a pitch that is green and lively. Test matches in Australia are a complete bore now, every pitch is the same. A batting paradise virtually every match.
Fast bowlers are given assistance in a test match in less than 5% of matches.
We know it’s money and tv stations why this is the case but if these batsman are all so bloody good then a lively pitch shouldn’t be much trouble.
As Ian Chappell always said, a good test match pitch is when you hope to lose the Toss because you are unsure what you will do. For the last 15 years it has been wn the toss and bat, you don’t even need to look at the pitch anymore it is so predictable.

 

[PhatBoy]

Batsman could not have it easier than they currently do. They have to put up wth some spin but rarely do they have to bat on a pitch that is green and lively. Test matches in Australia are a complete bore now, every pitch is the same. A batting paradise virtually every match.
Fast bowlers are given assistance in a test match in less than 5% of matches.
We know it’s money and tv stations why this is the case but if these batsman are all so bloody good then a lively pitch shouldn’t be much trouble.
As Ian Chappell always said, a good test match pitch is when you hope to lose the Toss because you are unsure what you will do. For the last 15 years it has been wn the toss and bat, you don’t even need to look at the pitch anymore it is so predictable.

One in 20 pitches gives assistance to quicks? Then how do we have 10 fast bowlers across the 3 Southern Hemisphere sides averaging below 30, 2 from India doing the same thing, a new ball combination from England that will finish with more than 1000 wickets between them etc? I agree regarding Aussie pitches. They’re laughable. But the other 3 fast-bowler heavy nations do enough to keep the quicks happy.

 

[The Swans Blog]

Well pretty clearly yes.

Kohli can overtake daylight by a big series in RSA (but would still be 2nd), but Smith can bring it right back into 2nd with a big series as well when we go...

Root is a class player and nice to watch but he has nowhere near the killer instinct or temperament that Smith has, not just clear from this series but overall record of 50-100s.

What are you talking about? Kohli would have to score more than 1,000 runs against SA to even come close to overtaking Steve Smith. He would have to break all time run records to get close.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Kohli and AB are just as goodm

 

[flamethrower]

For mine, the big 3 are still Smith, Kohli and AB de Villiers.

 

[PhatBoy]

What are you talking about? Kohli would have to score more than 1,000 runs against SA to even come close to overtaking Steve Smith. He would have to break all time run records to get close.

Did you read his post properly? He said Kohli would need a big series against SA to overtake daylight and move into second spot behind smith

 

[JG22]

For mine, the big 3 are still Smith, Kohli and AB de Villiers.

Root is averaging something like 53