Comparing Batting Peers

In a previous column, I argued that Gayle, Sarwan and Chanderpaul deserved to be penalised, perhaps by being dropped, for the West Indian debacle at Sabina Park. A look at their statistics showed that, although their averages and aggregate was not really bad, their failure rate seemed rather high for Test level top order batsmen.

Was this really true? Do the West Indian top order batsmen under-perform compared to their peers in world cricket? Are they merely putting in performances that are acceptable only compared to the low standards of their own teammates?

This possibility is certainly not farfetched. Only recently, Dillon and Drakes were locked in a close contest in the bowling department, though both had statistics that could not be compared with any other opening pair among the world's better teams. Needless to say, while both of them were persisted with, opposing teams gleefully racked up totals of over 500 against the friendly 80 mph fare that was dished out to them.

The search for the answer to this question about the batsmen led to an analysis of the recent performance of the top order of the Australian, South African, Indian and English teams. For a Sarwan or Gayle to do enough to retain his place over say, Daren Ganga, was one thing but if the West Indies were to regain something of their "rightful place" in world cricket, the comparison ought to be with other teams, not just with other West Indian batsmen.

The statistics compiled are for the last twelve completed innings of each batsman. Since top order batsmen typically average over 40, any score of 40 and above was counted as a "success", while any score below 40 would be a "failure". A batsman who was not out while scoring less than 40 was not deemed to have failed, while an unbeaten innings of 40 or over was still counted as a "success". The averages and aggregates were calculated as always.

Why the last 12 innings? Simply because looking at batsmen's career statistics is very misleading. Steve Waugh averaged nearly 50 through his career, but that could not have been the criterion when selectors tried to decide whether to retain him in the Australian team. The question would have been whether Waugh, in his present form, would have continued to merit a place over another middle order batsman. The only way to make this decision would be to look at a very recent run of scores and assess the contribution to the team's cause.

Similarly, this analysis also attempts to restrict itself to the immediate past. Whether this is the best way to do that or not is open to question, but that is certainly the intention.

The following batsmen from each team were included in the comparison:

Australia: Langer, Hayden, Ponting and Martyn.
South Africa: Smith, Gibbs, Kallis and Kirsten.
India: Sehwag, Dravid, Laxman, Ganguly and Tendulkar.
England: Trescothick, Vaughan, Butcher and Thorpe.

Here are the statistics for each of these batsmen.

AUSTRALIA:

Langer: 3, 9, 12, 32, 117, 47, 14, 2, 58, 10, 121, 0
Summary: 12 innings, 4 successes, 8 failures. 425 runs. Average of 35.4.

Hayden: 54, 5, 41, 130, 67, 30, 136, 53*, 12, 17, 37, 99, 20
Summary: 12 innings, 7 successes, 5 failures, 701 runs. Average of 58.4.

Ponting: 10, 27, 21, 28, 25, 47, 257, 31*, 242, 0*, 54, 50, 169, 53*, 37
Summary: 12 innings, 7 successes, 5 failures, 1051 runs. Average of 87.6.

Martyn: 1, 104, 42, 110, 7, 40, 31, 30, 38, 42, 66*, 32, 53
Summary: 12 innings, 7 successes, 5 failures, 596 runs. Average of 49.7.

Combined Statistics for the Australian top order:
48 innings, 25 successes, 23 failures, 2773 runs. Average of 57.7.

The statistics here do not tell the full story. For one thing, both Ponting and Hayden tend to score heavily when they get in. For another, Adam Gilchrist is not on the above list, and he often makes match winning contributions at the end of the middle order. Combine this with Australia's bowling and fielding, and we see the recipe for success against any team in the world, at least till the supply of quality bowlers lasts.

Taking Australia's combined average of nearly 60 literally, this means that 240-4 would be the score line in an average Australian innings, with Darren Lehmann and Adam Gilchrist still at the crease. Not a bad position at all.

SOUTH AFRICA:

Smith: 25, 5, 139, 23*, 42, 24, 14, 132, 44, 2, 65, 33, 12
Summary: 12 innings, 5 successes, 7 failures, 560 runs. Average of 46.7.

Gibbs: 40, 47, 192, 8*, 33, 142, 142, 60, 6, 98, 20, 27, 59
Summary: 12 innings, 8 successes, 4 failures, 874 runs. Average of 72.8.

Kallis: 92, 150, 130, 73, 130*, 177, 158, 44, 10, 43, 53, 18, 66
Summary: 12 innings, 11 successes, 1 failure, 1144 runs. Average of 95.3.

Kirsten: 137, 34*, 10, 16, 10*, 137, 54, 118, 29, 46, 90, 29, 130, 60
Summary: 12 innings, 9 successes, 3 failures, 900 runs. Average of 75.0.

Combined Statistics for the South African top order:
48 innings, 33 successes, 15 failures, 3478 runs. Average of 72.4.

The statistics for the South Africans are skewed by the magnificent run of form Kallis is presently in. Still, this means that South Africa could reasonably expect to score about 280 before they lose their first four wickets, and Boucher and Pollock could still be expected to make decent contributions. This would make for a strong platform, from which the likes of Ntini could attack the opposing batsmen, as the West Indies saw in their recent tour to South Africa.

INDIA:

Sehwag: 72, 47, 195, 11, 47, 47, 45, 0, 130, 1, 29, 17
Summary: 12 innings, 7 successes, 5 failures, 641 runs. Average of 53.4.

Dravid: 38, 91, 49, 92, 233, 72, 1, 43*, 13, 5, 222, 73, 217
Summary: 12 innings, 9 successes, 3 failures, 1149 runs. Average of 95.8.

Laxman: 178, 19, 18, 148, 32, 75, 24*, 104, 67*, 64, 44, 40, 6, 22
Summary: 12 innings, 8 successes, 4 failures, 841 runs. Average of 70.1.

Ganguly: 16, 37, 73, 2, 12, 144, 100, 25, 51, 128, 68, 99
Summary: 12 innings, 7 successes, 5 failures, 755 runs. Average of 62.9.

Tendulkar: 241, 60*, 0, 44, 1, 37, 0, 55, 1, 8, 7, 54, 193
Summary: 12 innings, 6 successes, 6 failures, 701 runs. Average of 58.4.

Combined Statistics for the Indian top order:
60 innings, 37 successes, 23 failures, 4087 runs. Average of 68.1.

Any batting line-up in which Tendulkar does not have the best statistics is definitely a strong one! India has five well-established batsmen in the top order, all of whom scored heavily in Australia recently, which should speak for their quality. Dravid is in a purple patch at the moment, averaging nearly 96 in his last 12 innings. Just to keep things simple, taking the above numbers literally would mean that India, in their present form, could expect to be about 340-5 on an average day. Which means they would be disappointed not to post a total of above 400.

No wonder Langer said after the recent series against India that the Australian team was under immense pressure to post big totals each time they went out to the crease.

ENGLAND:

Trescothick: 7, 6*, 70, 0, 36, 14, 23, 24, 60, 1*, 113, 32, 219, 69*, 59
Summary: 12 innings, 6 successes, 6 failures, 733 runs. Average of 61.1.

Vaughan: 15, 11*, 18, 14, 52, 105, 24, 8, 54, 25, 48, 81, 23
Summary: 12 innings, 5 successes, 7 failures, 478 runs. Average of 39.8.

Butcher: 58, 23, 37, 4, 6, 51, 54, 6, 42, 0, 8, 32, 20*
Summary: 12 innings, 4 successes, 8 failures, 341 runs. Average of 28.4.

Thorpe *: 19, 13, 19, 57, 41, 43, 10, 0, 54, 64, 18*, 124
Summary: 11 innings(*), 7 successes, 4 failures, 462 runs. Average of 42.0.

* NOTE: Thorpe missed numerous tests last year, so his stats are restricted to his last 11 innings.

Combined Statistics for the English top order:
47 innings, 22 successes, 25 failures, 2014 runs. Average of 42.85.

The numbers posted by the English top order should make the West Indies feel a little more optimistic about their chances in the current series. The numbers for all the batsmen are sub-par, perhaps because England has just returned from a tough series against Muralitharan in Sri Lanka. It appears that both Vaughan and Butcher are out of form, and Thorpe is not at his best either. England could expect to lose their first four wickets by about 170, which is not that healthy even though Flintoff can be quite dangerous with the bat.

Should the opposition post a healthy score, this English top order can definitely come under pressure.

WEST INDIES:

Gayle: 5, 9, 77, 107, 116, 32, 8, 26, 47, 0, 14, 13
Summary: 12 innings, 4 successes, 8 failures, 454 runs. Average of 37.8.

Sarwan: 0, 0, 13, 119, 44, 69, 4, 114, 21, 8, 65, 9
Summary: 12 innings, 5 successes, 7 failures, 466 runs. Average of 38.8.

Chanderpaul: 7, 0, 42, 27, 0, 109, 34, 74, 15, 15, 36, 39
Summary: 12 innings, 3 successes, 9 failures, 398 runs. Average of 33.2.

Lara: 5, 0, 34, 6, 115, 86, 72, 11, 202, 5, 191, 1
Summary: 12 innings, 5 successes, 7 failures, 728 runs. Average of 60.7.

Combined Statistics for the West Indian top order:
48 innings, 17 successes, 31 failures, 2046 runs. Average of 42.6.

The statistics for the West Indies top order are telling. For one thing, Lara alone has scored over a third of the runs made by the top order. Moreover, nearly twenty percent of the runs have come off just two of Lara's innings. This apart, the statistics are damning -- out of the last 48 innings by top order West Indian batsmen, a whopping 31 are failures. Which means, two out of three times, batsmen fail to reach 40.

Going by recent form, in the average innings, West Indies would expect to be 170-4, which includes about 60 runs scored by Lara alone! This apart, neither Ridley Jacobs nor the West Indian tail generally contribute much.

Combine this with the inexperienced West Indian bowling attack, and against any of Australia, South Africa or India, West Indies would be on the back foot almost constantly through a test match. Against England, they have a better chance because the English batting has not been very dominant either.

Still, for the West Indies to have any great hopes, all of Gayle, Sarwan and Chanderpaul have to succeed at least half the time, which has certainly not been happening in the recent past.

Lara's case is quite different. For one thing, when he does come good, he can usually turn a match around completely. Secondly, no matter how one looks at it, at 35 years of age, he is coming towards the end of his career. There is only so much a batsman at this stage of his career can do, even if he is Brian Charles Lara.

Gayle, Sarwan and Chanderpaul, on the other hand, are under performing when in their prime years. Only time will tell whether the debacle at Sabina Park will sting them into putting some big scores on the board.

Judging by the evidence of the last 12 innings, once Lara retires, the West Indies will struggle to reach even 200-250 if Gayle, Sarwan and Chanderpaul are the nucleus of the batting order and continue in their present form. Which is why it is imperative that the West Indian selectors groom other batsmen, so that there is pressure on every batsman in the team to score consistently.