Ponting: Simply the Best?
Natarajan H writes on Ricky Ponting in his own distinct style:
The fact is that Sir Don’s figures are beyond compare. As Vasu Paranjpe once said in his inimitable way: “In any cricketing comparison, Sir Don has to be left out. The great man’s head would go out if you try to fit him in the same frame as the others!” The latest to draw such comparison is Ricky Ponting…
If one splits his Test career into two, it makes interesting read. Till the end of 2001, he had scored 3182 runs in 52 Tests at an average of 44.19; in the 53 matches since, till the first innings of the second Test against Bangladesh in the ongoing series, he has scored 5610 runs, with at an average of 71. It’s in this rapacious mood that he has scored century in each innings of a Test match on three occasions to equal the feat of Sunil Gavaskar. Of course, there is a small difference: Gavaskar’s scored them in a span of eight years; Ponting got it in eight Tests!
I spoke on Ponting versus Dravid a few months ago. I said then:
It is too close to call but I would have Dravid because he adds solidity.
Has Ponting done enough to gain an edge over Dravid since then? Ponting has played all kinds of innings. He has been gritty, aggressive, defensive, sticking on to his wicket, winning matches from tight situations, winning matches without giving the opponents a sniff. Basically, doing whatever it takes to keep the Aussie juggernaut rolling despite a recent inconsistent batting order.
So is Ponting above the shoulders of all his contemporaries. Right now he is definitely the best batsman in world cricket. But it is best left to judge current players till when their careers are over, as Sunil Gavaskar always advocates, lest we do injustice to the modern players.
Tags: Australian Cricket, Donald Bradman, Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting, Sunil Gavaskar.
