Best batsman against the best attack

I mean look at Gooch he averages 39 in Asia. And he is supposed to be one of the best English opener.

Both Hobbs and Hutton were minnow basher.

I mean look at Gooch he averages 39 in Asia. And he is supposed to be one of the best English opener.

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39 isn't all that bad in foreign conditions. Gooch also played in an era where 45 was considered a very good average.

@Ginger:

No one is desputing that.

But why is that nobody questions Ponting and Steve waugh who average 38 and 40 in Asia against IND,PAK,SL despite being middle order?

Sehwag
Ponting's record in Asia and in particular India is always being questioned.

OK:

It is tough being opening batsman .
Even if you remove runs scored in draw games (flat pitches) Sehwag tops the list in post world war era

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?batting_positionmax1=2;batting_positionval1=batting_position;class=1;filter=advanced;opposition=1;opposition=140;opposition=2;opposition=3;opposition=4;opposition=5;opposition=6;opposition=7;opposition=8;orderby=batting_average;qualmin1=4000;qualval1=runs;result=1;result=2;result=3;spanmin1=02+jan+1950;spanval1=span;template=results;type=batting

How do you think he will get on this summer?

I think he should be brought in middle -order and Dravid should open and Vijay/pujara at no.3 , Sachin at 4, Sehwag at 5.

His risky game is not suited to early part of innings in England or SA pitches where ball does a lot in first 15 to 20 OVERS.

In middle order once ball becomes old, he can take apart Swann.

I remember Swann bowling to Sehwag once in ODI and Sehwag scored 20 runs in that over.

So if Sehwag opens he will average 35-40ish. Very average by his standards.

Gambhir will score big i think.

> Both Hobbs and Hutton were minnow basher.

Surely, you can't be serious, Sehwag Fan. They were two of the best ever, and their records are testimony to that. Have you had a chance to look at their records?

I like Sehwag, I think his value to this Indian team is quite a bit more than what the raw numbers would suggest. But would making preposterous statements about great players from an earlier era somehow make Sehwag look better than he already is?

Gambhir should score big I agree.

How do you think Viru's shoulder will hold out?
Will it affect his strokeplay?

I can see him playing down the batting order as you suggest but he might have to adjust his risky style and intimidate bowlers by attrition mainly - and picking the odd one to smash to the boundary...and accumulate at a slower rate which should be well within his capability.

Hobbs and Hutton I can't speak for (they were 80 yrs before- I don't wish to go into all that now) but Gooch played as an opener in an era when WI bowlers were on a rampage, especially on helpful pitches (like in England and WI too).
Getting that average as an opener in that era is an amazing feat.

I do not deny that Sehwag is in a different level compared to Gooch or any modern opener but I will certainly not say Gooch was poor.

Sehwag has done each day what dashing openers like Roy Fredericks did once in a lifetime.