is sehwag better than the Fab4?

[zizou81]

TIMES OF INDIA 1st april 2008

Delhi Dasher Is An All Time Great
The Chennai triple hundred should settle the debate once and for all,Virender Sehwag is one of the Indian cricket's all time great batsmen,up
there with Sunil Gavaskar,Gunduppa Vishwanath,Sachin Tendulakar and Rahul
Dravid.With an average of 53.48 after 55 tests ,Sehwag has a record that compares with the best in business.For instance,Gavaskar held a batting average of 56.44 after his first 55 tests.Of course,statistics are not the only criterion to judge a player and,like in the case of Gavaskar,Sehwag is more than what the statistics reveal.
Great cricketers redefine the way the game is played.A Viv Richards may not have held many cricket records,but he impacted the game as no one else did of his generation.What makes Sehwag a great talent is his ability to dominate a match.Ian Chappell,astute commentator and former Australian captain argued ahead of India's tour Down Under,that Sehwag should be an integral part of team india because he was a match winner and gave the team a psychological boost.Sehwag proved Chappell right with a match saving innings in Adelaide.
Sehwag has redefined the profile of the test opener.Until his advent,the dictum was the first hour in a test innings belonged to the fast bowlers.Along with Matthew Hayden and Sanath Jayasurya,Sehwag has demonstrated that the new ball is there to be hit.Sehwag has a strike rate of 76.35 in Test matches as compared to Hayden's 60.12.He also takes the pitch out of match equation.Sehwag does not carry the baggage of history-his previous innings,the bowler,the pitch and even the previous delivery-when he is at the crease.The copybook is a meaningless scribble when Sehwag is batting.If u insist on one,refer to sehwag's batting manual,prepared in pitches and conditions as different as in Bloemfontain,Nottingham,Melbourne,Multan,Gros Islet,and,of course,Chepauk.if such a player is not all time great.who else would be?
P.S-the above article appeared in editorial section and is the TIMES VIEW on the subject

[andy4u]

@zizou->
You are a Sehwag fan.So apparent Good.

[catapult]

Originally Posted by zango

does it really matter, as long as all our players perform and do well for India? I don't think so.

We do not need a new thread anytime one player produces an exceptional innings and immediately comparisions start with others.

Spot on!

It was those days when only one or two persons used to perform and make the team win matches. It aint that way any longer - If Sehwag peforms one day, then Yuvraj does it the other day. The wins these days are more of team effort.

Having said that, Sehwag is no way 'better' than Fab 4. Simple reasons: He is no way near to the consistent form that Sachin, Dravid & Ganguly have shown since their career start (till some years back that is). Its really these Fab 3 whom we've seen us as Kids and adored (I know I'm being nostalgic but when these guys played we used to expect them to perform every match, but its not the same with the current bunch Yuvraj/Dhoni/Pathan/Ishant - You never know when they can perform)

Being a hyderabadi, I would have been proud to add VVS Laxman to the Fab 3 and call it Fab 4 - but I wouldn't do so. Laxman was never in the same league (except in test matches when he was better than the Fab 3 )



PS: The thread can lie in hibernation till sehwag scores another triple.. which is .. mm.. hopefully not some years away

[somak2001us]

at times he is better than the fab 4.......
but what he lacks in is consistency.......

[hansingring]

dude,r u watchin the match??his strike rate of 183.3 looks huge..but another look at the scorecard shows his impatience..but i for one relly enjoy his short-but-sweet innings!!10 on 10 fr that~!

[Mahip]

Individual performers/players dont need a separate thread.
Please continue on the Cricket Thread.

Locked.