Karan114 Posted March 30, 2011 Posted March 30, 2011 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/cricket-world-cup/8414462/India-v-Pakistan-Sachin-Tendulkar-is-the-best-batsman-ever-to-play-cricket.html Sachin Tendulkar is the best batsman ever to play cricket 11:00PM BST 29 Mar 2011 It may be sacrilegious to say this, especially to Australians, but Sachin Tendulkar is the best batsman who ever took guard. His versatility, longevity and productivity are so far ahead of his closest rival in the game. Just as Don Bradman’s Test average of 99.94 was more than 50 per cent better than anyone else, so Tendulkar’s tally of 99 international hundreds is similarly out of reach of his nearest competitor, Ricky Ponting, who has 69. When you factor in Tendulkar’s prowess in all countries and all conditions – averaging around 50 in every major country apart from Pakistan – and the burden of expectation of a billion people, he must be regarded as the best ever. Bradman was extraordinary, but he only ever played in Australia and England. Bradman watched Tendulkar bat, famously saying that the way he fashioned runs reminded him of himself. There are similarities – the short stature, the stillness at the crease, the compactness, the control, the total insatiability. It was often said that Bradman seemed inherently to know where the bowler would direct the next delivery, and Tendulkar appears to have the same gift. Often he seems to be in position to play a shot earlier than his peers. Perhaps that is just because his reflexes are sharper. Tendulkar is blessed with exceptional balance and timing. He never seems hurried at the crease: a 90mph Brett Lee delivery was calmly upper-cut almost for six in the quarter-final in Ahmedabad. He glides smoothly into position, his bat and body perfectly aligned, the bat apparently an extension of his arms. He strokes, or occasionally punches the ball, rarely assaults it. With deft wrist work, he angles or flicks the ball into space. He dissects bowling attacks rather than destroying them. Quite apart from his talent, the other thing that sets him apart is the way he plans an innings. Every innings. He is meticulous in his assessment of bowlers and conditions. He is not intent on intimidating a bowler, but on calculating his best shot options. You can practically see him computing bowler type, pitch state and field settings, processing the information and unveiling the appropriate shot. He decided, for instance, in a Test match on a dry Sydney pitch in 2004 that one of his favourite shots, the cover drive, was a risky stroke against the Australian spinners. He made 241 not out, with not one cover drive. It has been fascinating to watch the way he has manipulated the bowlers in this World Cup. In the England match after playing and missing twice to James Anderson, he left the balls close to off stump, moved fractionally across to the off and glanced the ball fine on the leg side whenever Anderson strayed straighter. Seeing Graeme Swann warming up during the drinks break, he changed his bat for a chunkier version. Whenever Swann tossed one up outside off, he stepped out and swung the ball away over the short midwicket boundary with the spin. But when the flatter, skiddier Michael Yardy was bowling, he was back on his stumps and using the pace of the ball to deflect for four to fine leg. Despite scoring a superlative century of his own, Andrew Strauss said it had been a privilege to be on the field during that Tendulkar innings. His silky hundred against the South Africans was a masterclass of timing, poise and neat placement. Despite the bat speed and intent of Virender Sehwag producing a flurry of boundaries, Tendulkar outscored his partner in much of their 132-run opening partnership. Assiduous in his practice and preparation, there is an inevitability about a Tendulkar hundred – although he has never made even a fifty at Lord’s and his one appearance in a World Cup final, in Johannesburg in 2003, ended in failure, when he was caught and bowled by Glenn McGrath for just four. His innings seem preordained, and who would bet against him achieving his century of centuries in the biggest game of cricket on earth, Wednesday's unique semi-final against Pakistan in Mohali.
Manny_Pacquiao Posted March 31, 2011 Posted March 31, 2011 is the 100 hundreds comparable to the 99.94? ppl might come close to tendulkar's number of matches, but i doutb they will accumulate the same number of hundreds.
The Outsider Posted March 31, 2011 Posted March 31, 2011 So, by this logic Ponting is the second best batsman to ever play cricket? :hysterical:
goose Posted March 31, 2011 Posted March 31, 2011 So' date=' by this logic Ponting is the second best batsman to ever play cricket? :hysterical:[/quote'] The latest army of converts have arrived at the correct answer via the wrong logic. Shame.
Homerus_Unus Posted March 31, 2011 Posted March 31, 2011 This thread has a potential of 1000 posts. If Hughes had said something negative, this thread would have the same potential. But yes, I think he's the best batsman ever....period!
Raghav_12 Posted March 31, 2011 Posted March 31, 2011 So' date=' by this logic Ponting is the second best batsman to ever play cricket? :hysterical:[/quote'] If set of people who think that Bradman is greatest ever because of 99.94, believes that Graeme Pollock (60.97) is second best ever than Ponting can also be considered second best ever by me.. :hysterical::hysterical:
The Outsider Posted March 31, 2011 Posted March 31, 2011 If set of people who think that Bradman is greatest ever because of 99.94' date=' believes that Graeme Pollock (60.97) is second best ever than Ponting can also be considered second best ever by me.. :hysterical::hysterical:[/quote'] Logic fail. :winky: While there are around 50 batsmen with an average between 50-60, Ponting is quite comfortably the leader in hundreds after Tendulkar.
Raghav_12 Posted March 31, 2011 Posted March 31, 2011 Logic fail. :winky: While there are around 50 batsmen with an average between 50-60, Ponting is quite comfortably the leader in hundreds after Tendulkar. But not as comfortably as Sachin leads Ponting. Kallis is still going strong and can bridge the gap..:hysterical:
vvvslaxman Posted March 31, 2011 Posted March 31, 2011 Aussies are not giving an inch. http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/english-cricket-writer-simon-hughes-says-sachin-tendulkars-achievements-surpass-those-of-sir-donald-bradman/story-e6frf3ju-1226031136868 Bradman is 60% so far... it is getting funnier. Fox sports these days have become no.1 masala source from Australia.
Manny_Pacquiao Posted March 31, 2011 Posted March 31, 2011 Aussies are not giving an inch. http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/english-cricket-writer-simon-hughes-says-sachin-tendulkars-achievements-surpass-those-of-sir-donald-bradman/story-e6frf3ju-1226031136868 Bradman is 60% so far... it is getting funnier. Fox sports these days have become no.1 masala source from Australia. this is unrelated to the thread we are discussing here but your foxsports link led me to this article on today's match -->http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/disciplined-bowling-by-india-sees-them-beat-pakistan-by-29-runs-to-set-up-a-world-cup-final-against-sri-lanka/story-e6frf3ju-1226030971687 which led me to this comment from a paki --> India would have lost if the match was not fixed. There were loud rumors even when the 2nd semifinal hasn't been decided. This Pakistani cricket team is a bunch of match fixers and nothing else. Take a few facts about today's match: Umar Gul conceded 69 runs in 8 overs. Even I don't bowl that many fulltoses for neighbourhood team and if I ever do my captain would seriously rebuke me. Then 6 catches were dropped by different fielders. How come? Then Hafeez, Shafiq and Younis got out themselves at a stage when they had to stay. Afridi got himself out and he looks like a 10 years old kid playing cricket in a park. Last but not the least they didn't take batting power play at all. I don't know how to handle all these controversies if I am in a team management of such a pethatic team but I have serious doubts the way they play their cricket and its only about game integrity... may be we need another News of the World revelation to bring few other facts about this team. No one really wants to play with them now. which led me to laughing out loud :hysterical:
Sooda Posted March 31, 2011 Posted March 31, 2011 ^ Hey Pak lost obviously the match is fixed. Dont you get it
Ilarum Posted March 31, 2011 Posted March 31, 2011 No offense, I like an admire good old Sachin very much, but Bradman is just in his own league. Playing on uncovered pitches which were much much more bowler friendly than most of the flatbeds today, without helmets, scoring that many runs and that many 100s, so many winning knocks, he's just untouchable.
Hell Raiser Posted March 31, 2011 Posted March 31, 2011 he says Sachin is the best batsman ever to play cricket!!!!!!!! Tell us something which we don't know.
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