| Series | Countries | Live Scores | Fixtures | Results | News |
Features
|
Photos | Blogs | Statistics | Archive | Video & Audio | Games | Mobile | |||||||||||||||||||||
Ian Chappell
Feeds
| Archives
Feeds
| Archives
Former Australia captain, now a cricket commentator and columnist
|
Duminy's a great in the making
The young South African has shown he has the right stuff to take over from Ponting when the time comes
October 11, 2009
|
||
|
Related Links
Teams:
South Africa
|
||
The story is told that near the turn of the century - 19th to 20th - Dr WG Grace asked to see Victor Trumper's bat and promptly wrote on it, "From the current champion to the future champion," and then signed the piece of willow.
Despite the self-anointment - WG didn't need such modern aids as a computer ranking to confirm his greatness - Grace's prediction was soon confirmed by the dazzling strokeplay of Trumper. Minus the self-aggrandisement, we may have glimpsed a potential modern-day changing of the guard in the last few days.
Ricky Ponting has long been considered the master of the willow wielders. He attained this lofty status even with the presence of Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, both of whom vied for the title from the days when the young Australian was only a glint in the eye of Academy head coach Rod Marsh. Judging by the cool approach and precise shot-making of Cape Cobras' JP Duminy in the opening Champions League match, he's the young batsman most likely to usurp Ponting's title. That would be an appropriate juxtaposition: an Australian bestowing the title on a man who is known for his batting prowess and by his initials.
Duminy announced himself to the world in Perth last year, when as a late replacement for the injured Ashwell Prince he played a convincing part in a mammoth, successful South African run-chase. Not content with a debut half-century in a remarkable South African victory, he followed up with a game-winning hundred at the MCG, as the team clinched a historic first-ever series win in Australia.
Such a confident start to a Test career against the number one team in the world spoke volumes for his skill and temperament. It's worth noting that Ponting announced himself in a similarly spectacular fashion, also in Perth, even if it was against slightly less talented opposition - a moderate Sri Lankan side.
He scored an impressive 96 before an atrocious umpiring decision robbed him of a century on debut. Since then it has been onwards and upwards in terms of both performance and centuries and he now trails only Tendulkar, with 38 Test hundreds to his name.
| Like the past batting masters, Duminy doesn't waste time tinkering with frivolous shots and scores most of his limited-overs runs from traditional cricket strokes | |||
While Duminy is yet to add to his MCG Test century, he has shown enough in all three forms of the game to suggest he's the blueprint for 21st-century batsman. Despite limited opportunities batting in the middle order in the short versions of the game, he's made enough runs in tough situations to confirm his talent, technique and temperament are all adaptable. Given an extended opportunity to express his talent against the Bangalore Royal Challengers in a hostile environment, he did so in convincing fashion. If ever an innings deserved to be punctuated by a century, Duminy's effort did; but he was denied not by the bowlers but by his own rapid run-rate.
Unlike Ponting and both Tendulkar and Lara, Duminy is slightly suspect against the short-pitched ball. Normally this can lead to a curtailed career, but in Duminy's case he has been quick to adapt to the demands of international cricket and should quickly eradicate this shortcoming. Like Tendulkar, Duminy possesses all the requirements for a Test career at number four, and eventually he'll probably emulate Ponting in the shorter versions of the game by batting at three.
In keeping with the modern demands for fast scoring Duminy's batting relies more on aggression and less on technique. There's every chance that in the hustle and bustle of the modern game, well-equipped batsmen like Tendulkar and Ponting - who can both counter-attack and survive tough periods - will go the way of the steam engine. Nevertheless, like the past batting masters, Duminy doesn't waste time tinkering with frivolous shots and scores most of his limited-overs runs from traditional cricket strokes. In the modern tradition he has the strength to clear the boundary with the bulk of his copybook cricket shots.
Judging by his superb Champions Trophy form Ponting is in no rush to abdicate his throne. The way Duminy has commenced his Champions League campaign, he may be about to elevate his game to another level. Lately, the word "champion" has been in vogue, but it's not overstating the case to say we're privileged to be watching two batsmen of that ilk, one current and the other future.
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell is now a cricket commentator and columnist
Feeds: Ian Chappell
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
| Comments have now been closed for this article |
||||||
TopE-mail
Feedback
Print
Ian Chappell
Widely regarded as the best Australian captain of the last 50 years, Ian
Chappell moulded a team in his image: tough, positive, and fearless. Even
though Chappell sometimes risked defeat playing for a win, Australia did not lose a Test series under him between 1971 and 1975. He was an aggressive batsman himself, always ready to hook a bouncer and unafraid to use his feet against the spinners. In 1977 he played a lead role in the defection of a number of Australian players to Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket, which did not endear him to the administrators, who he regarded with contempt in any case. After retirement, he made an easy switch to television, where he has come to be known as a trenchant and fiercely independent voice.
'You need to change the way the batsman plays'
Tony Greig, Mark Waugh and Brian Close on the art of fielding close in. Interviews by Dan Brettig and Nagraj Gollapudi
'England's batting has been shocking'
Bowl at Boycs: Geoff Boycott on Pakistan's resurgence, the challenges ahead for England and Sri Lanka, the Woolf report, and Yuvraj's illness
Switch Hit: England are caught in a spin again. George Dobell joins Jon Harris-Bass and the team to put doubts over his action to bed
Saad Shafqat: The clean sweep of England is surely their greatest achievement in Test cricket to date
Pak Spin: a masterclass from Pakistan's unassuming warrior
Dhoni and Sehwag share a moment
ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the second Twenty20 international between Australia and India, in Melbourne
Swann v Ajmal: clash of the offspinners
They're the two best spinners in Test cricket over the last 30 months, and while their overall stats are similar, the break-ups are quite different
India were on tonight. It was like it was all coming back to someone who had lost his memory in the first half of a Bollywood film. Simple things but somehow forgotten
The last we've seen of India's old middle order
Dravid and Laxman will know their time is up. And Tendulkar will go sooner than later too
Mumbai Indians strengthened; Kings XI look weak
An analysis of how franchises fared at the 2012 IPL auction
Pakistan rewarded for smart rebuilding (137)
After the events of 2010 Pakistan cricket could have withered away, but due to a combination of determination and desire they are now flourishing
The problem's not Test cricket, it's bad Test cricket (125)
It is the product that matters. If the interest in Test cricket is declining, it is because the standard is not all that high
The last we've seen of India's old middle order (123)
Dravid and Laxman will know their time is up. And Tendulkar will go sooner than later too
Unravelling the mystery of Ajmal (113)
The ICC have explained the science behind the offspinner's action after a TV interview caused confusion
Pakistan show England how it's done in Asia (107)
Unlike England, Pakistan used their bats instead of their pads. Unlike England, they retained their composure during the inevitable scoreless periods and, unlike England, they played straight until they were well set
Sponsored Links
Access your Indian Rupee earnings from anywhere in the world.
ICICI Bank Money2India brings " locked exchange rate" and a free gift
on registering and transfer of USD 250 and above.
FREE copy of Playfair with Wisden pre-order
At Cricshop.com
Pointing is a great batsman , but to call him the best of our era is far fetched. That fight is still between Lara and Tendulkar. With Respect to Duminy, he does have the potential to be a great batsmen, but is yet prove himself in a tough assignment in the subcontinent.
Posted by rtmohanlal on (October 12 2009, 18:27 PM GMT)A lot of comments are seen here comparing Sachin with Ponting. I always thought Sachin had returned to top gear again since the last 2 years.So I thought of comparing there test records in the last 2 years.Here are the details. Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 0 4s 6s 19 35 4 1623 160 52.35 2740 59.23 5 8 1 196 9 26 46 1 1977 158 43.93 3218 61.43 5 12 3 221 9 Evident that Sachin is clearly on top in the last 2 years.If we go by this, Sachin can be expected to maintain his supremacy in the coming years too unless some thing unfortunate in the form of injuries happens to him.Another thing is the diff: in the no of tests played by them.Ponting played 7 more in the last 2 years.So it will be really interesting to follow their futher progress and to know as to who will end up statistically on top at the end of their careers.
Posted by waspsting on (October 12 2009, 15:01 PM GMT)I appreciate Chappell's boldness in making this statement. I'm tired of so-called experts being non-committal and saying "let him prove himself" when asked about a young player and then declaring his greatness after he's scored 9,000 runs at average of 53. Anyone can call that - if you really are an expert, you have to be able to make the prediction BEFORE the greatness comes. So, kudos to Chappell stepping out on the branch. Still, i think he's off on this one. Duminy's good, but not THAT good. RE: other comments. Tendulkar, Lara and Ponting are all great players, not much to choose between them. I have a philosophy that if the records are comparable, then judgements as to who is better is only an opinion. You can have a strong opinion, of course, but its good to keep in mind that its JUST AN OPINION. You can argue strongly that Tendulkar is a better player than say, Mark Waugh, who's average is much lower... but Ponting is right there in the same ball park. Just an opinion, remember.
Posted by SatyajitM on (October 12 2009, 14:43 PM GMT)Hey Sorcerer I was surprised when I saw your stats for Ponting (in 1st innings of match - 61 in 2nd innings of match - 60 in 3rd innings of match - 55 in 4th innings of match - 62). Wow, how is that possible? almost all those averages are more than his career stat of 55.88! To dig a little deeper I checked with StatsGuru and here are the actual nos for Ponting: 1st: 65.32, 2nd: 56.78, 3rd: 42.25, 4th: 53.79. Sachin's 1st: 71.65 2nd: 53.51 3rd: 44.05 4th: 36.72. Interestingly Sachin is slightly ahead in 3rd innings (and quite behind in 4th). Just to understand this little bit I checked the figures of the other universally accepted modern great Lara. Surprise, surprise; he averages 35.12 in 4th innings, worse than Sachin. The fact is that when win looks improbable (you cann't trust ur own team mates) even the best choke! Just to prove that I pulled up Ponting's 4th innings avg from 1st Jul 2007 and you know what? He averages just 31.80 in 4th innings in last 27 months!
Posted by sureshji on (October 12 2009, 14:30 PM GMT)At current time Ponting is the best. However Tendulkar is regarded as the best batsman since Bradman (Benaud also says that). Bradman picked Tendulkar in his all time Test 1st XI as did Benaud. Lara appeared in Benaud's Test third XI. In Warne's list Tendulkar is the best. You cannot compare statistics as Umpiring decisions do favour Australians. Tendulkar is not finished. Tendulkar was in the lastest Wisden Test 1st XI after playing a match winning Test innings against England. He won the last one day tri series for India in Australia with a century and a score in the nineties. He also won the one day final recently in Sri Lanka with a century. In New Zealand Martin Crowe and Daniel Vittori recently said Tendulkar was better than Bradman. Duminy will have stiff competition from other batters to be the next number one.
Posted by Quazar on (October 12 2009, 14:30 PM GMT)After reading this piece, I'm really looking forward to the 7 match Ind-Aus series. For I wouldn't be surprised if Sehwag, Tendulkar and Yuvraj overshadow Ponting in the batting stakes (although Australia do possess the better, and in-form, fast bowlers for sure). Let's just hope the frontline bowlers on both sides stay healthy and fit.
Posted by Quazar on (October 12 2009, 14:19 PM GMT)I'm a big JP supporter, but I think we need to see more top class performances from him in Test and ODI cricket before coronating him. And I think Chappeli is unaware that Ponting in the last 3 years (2007, 2008 and current) has averaged 38, 47 and 40 in Test cricket...so I'm not sure if he really is the torch bearer that Chappel thinks. And as Steve Waugh and other Aussie cricketers have often remarked - India has been the toughest tour for Aussie teams in the last 10-15 years...Ponting still has a hell of a lot to prove there (average of ~20 with a single ton in 5 tours). So why does it surprise that Indian fans don't rate Ponting as highly as others?
Posted by PROTEAFAN on (October 12 2009, 13:53 PM GMT)Duminy was very impressive on the Australian tour and deserves praise for his exploits there. For the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, he was a hard man to get out, but seemed incapable of clearing the fence when it mattered, leading to him being there at the end, but not winning the game for his team. In the T20 World Cup, JP and Kallis could not get the ball away under pressure, and SA exited yet another major tournament. He has however shown flashes of brilliance with the bat, is a spectacular fielder, and has shown himself to be a shrewd bowler, capable of taking wickets under pressure. As an all-round cricketer, he therefore has the potential to surpass Ponting, Lara and Tendulkar in my book. His role in the Cobras is different to that inthe SA team, and he showed enormous leadership potential at the wicket, constantly encouraging his playing partners. Now that he has somehow acquired this ability to hit massive sixes at will, the opposition should be very worried.
Posted by thestunner316_15 on (October 12 2009, 12:11 PM GMT)ha ha what a joke... ponting is a good player, will never be great... he has had an atrocious record in india which is the toughest place to tour for any team.. and one century in 4 tours speaks volumes about his ability - good, but not great... sachin and lara are the 2 best players of our era... i do agree with him about duminy, he has something about him.. reminds me of Lara when he started... but whether he can be as great as Lara and Sachin, or even steve waugh for taht matter, remains to be seen. Jury will be out in a few years for sure..
Posted by ssm2407 on (October 12 2009, 12:00 PM GMT)Big statement from IC to state that JP will be the next great batsman. Personally not convinced yet, though his 2 inns down under in his debut series spoke of a special talent. One hopes that this endorsement doesnt stick to Duminy & be used against him when he has the inevitable failure, rather like Ted Dexter's premature endorsement that Ramnaresh Sarwan will finish with a average of 45.00, on the basis on his debut inns. BTW, as Chappell was on the ICC voting panel - and if he rates him so highly - maybe he can explain how on earth did he not even get on the shortlist for "Emerging Player of the Year", let alone win it ?