Sachin second only to Bradman - Michael Clarke

[NareshK]

In awe of Sachin Tendulkar’s longevity, Australia captain Michael Clarke said the retiring Indian legend has been the “greatest constant” in world cricket for a generation and the best batsman of all time after the “incomparable” Sir Don Bradman. Paying tribute to the 40-year-old Tendulkar, who has been an international cricketer for 24 years, Clarke said he can’t really believe that the Indian veteran has grown old. “It is going to be strange looking at an Indian Test side without the name Sachin Tendulkar sitting proudly in the middle order. He has been the greatest constant in world cricket for a generation,” Clarke wrote in a column for Daily Telegraph. “I was still at primary school when he began his Test career and later scored two centuries on his first tour of Australia as an 18-year-old. I played my first Test series against him almost a decade ago and through my whole career have never really thought about him as an ageing player. I can’t believe he is 40,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to play with and against some great batsmen but there have been none better than Sachin in my time. Given everything he has done, Sachin would have to be the second best batsman of all time after the incomparable Bradman.” According to Clarke, Tendulkar’s biggest achievement has been to be an active cricketer for more than 20 years. “Every time I watch Sachin play, he exudes that youthful enthusiasm which highlights just how much he still loves the game, dashing around the field and charging down balls on the boundary,” he said. “His record number of Test and one-day runs, his century of international centuries. They are achievements that may never be bettered. However, I believe his greatest achievement is playing international cricket for almost a quarter of a century. To be lining up for his 200th Test is mind boggling,” he added. Clarke said Tendulkar’s longevity is proof of his unflinching passion for the game despite being the most scrutinised cricketer of modern era. “It highlights an undying affection for the game that goes way beyond just playing. Wanting to get out of bed and go to training with the desire and commitment to keep improving. Getting on another flight and staying in another hotel on the endless merry-go-round that is modern international cricket,” he said. “Sachin has done it all carrying an unimaginable weight of expectation. India dwarfs the rest of the cricket world when it comes to such a vast depth of passion for the game and Sachin has been the lightning rod for so much of that passion,” he added. Reflecting on his own interactions with the diminutive genius, Clarke said such is his humility that it is hard to believe that the Indian is an icon to billions. “...He is such a quiet and unassuming man it is hard to believe this almost reclusive player is the unmatched hero of a billion people. I spent some time with him earlier in my career and even then he was a colossus of the game but you would never have known it,” he explained. “During my debut series in 2004, he signed a pair of his batting gloves for me and I’ve put them away in a safe place at home,” he recalled. Clarke said it was always impossible to work out a game plan around Tendulkar’s flaws simply because he seemed to have none. “When you sit down and study players, look at their strength and weaknesses, and figure out how to get them out, there was nothing obvious,” he said.

:hatsoff:

[SLICKR392]

Master. :hatsoff: In my book, he is ahead of The Don. Best ever !

[MCcricket]

Very true next to Don, If Sachin had averaged 65 plus then maybe would have put him up with the Don, his average is equaled or bettered by many modern day batters.

[fineleg]

What is Sangakkara average? And how did he get it? Minnow bashing or lions-at-home or is that genuine average!??

[Temujin Khaghan]

also clarke > ponting

[MCcricket]

also clarke > ponting

TRUE Ponting was clueless against spinners especially in indian sub continent

[CG]

TRUE Ponting was clueless against spinners especially in indian sub continent

:hysterical: Clarke has struggled against spin as well in india except for two horrible decisons one in debut test of kumble where he edged it and again on last tour he has failed in most matches.Ponting averages 44 in srilanka clarke 42 .Also ponting averages 119 in pak.

[Sachin=GOD]

I think its time we started saying that Sir Don is next only to GODDY :winky:

[Temujin Khaghan]

:hysterical: Clarke has struggled against spin as well in india except for two horrible decisons one in debut test of kumble where he edged it and again on last tour he has failed in most matches.Ponting averages 44 in srilanka clarke 42 .Also ponting averages 119 in pak.

you are misrepresenting the statistics... clarke averages 40.5 in india with 3 centuries and 4 half centuries in 25 innings ponting averages 26.48 in india with 1 century and 5 half centuries in 25 innings clarke did not play in pakistan ponting averages 119 in pakistan... true.. but with only 1 50+ score and in only 2 innings... some sample size huh? :D so this is not comparable clarke played just 5 innings in srilanka... small sample size again - 42.80 average with 1 100+ and 50+ each ponting did well... 48.20 in 16 innings with 2 100s and 3 50s again.. this is not comparable

[Executioner]

Don > Sachin (IN TESTS) AND THAT IS A FACT. But SRT also played well in ODIs, so well done

[Executioner]

SRT is the best modern batsman

[MCcricket]

you are misrepresenting the statistics... clarke averages 40.5 in india with 3 centuries and 4 half centuries in 25 innings ponting averages 26.48 in india with 1 century and 5 half centuries in 25 innings clarke did not play in pakistan ponting averages 119 in pakistan... true.. but with only 1 50+ score and in only 2 innings... some sample size huh? :D so this is not comparable clarke played just 5 innings in srilanka... small sample size again - 42.80 average with 1 100+ and 50+ each ponting did well... 48.20 in 16 innings with 2 100s and 3 50s again.. this is not comparable

Thnx everyone knows Pointing was a bunny as far as facing spinners in the subcontinent and therefore can never be compared with great players , some people here are just trying to create trouble and I choose to ignore em

[GoldenSun]

SRT is the best modern batsman

Here is how I see it as. Bradman and Tendulkar were the greatest batsmen of their respective generations.

[Crookbond]

Here is how I see it as. Bradman and Tendulkar were the greatest batsmen of their respective generations.

And that's how one should see it as well rather than getting ones panties in a twist at the slightest criticism of either of the two.

[Temujin Khaghan]

Thnx everyone knows Pointing was a bunny as far as facing spinners in the subcontinent and therefore can never be compared with great players ' date=' some people here are just trying to create trouble and I choose to ignore em[/quote'] Ponting doesn't deserve to mentioned in the same sentence as sachin-lara-kallis-dravid wrt to allround batsmanship... he is an OZ-great... thats it. one of the greatest players of fast bowling on green, bouncy, seaming tracks and swinging conditions ... but he completely failed on the dustbowls in India - the test which kallis passed with flying colours. unfortunately lara played only 3 tests in india... but gave a whopping to muralitharan - 3 centuries in 7 innings at an average of 100. he also killed kaneria in pakistan. no doubt he would have passed with flying colours in india against kumble and bhajji btw... the best of ponting's centuries in srilanka - the 141 was against pakistan in 2002. http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/64001.html

[Scarves]

Here is how I see it as. Bradman and Tendulkar were the greatest batsmen of their respective generations.

I would say Lara instead of Tendulkar just by very little but that's personal opinion. But there is no way you could compare Bradman to modern batsman and vice versa because things were completely different. It was like a different game. In regards to Ponting remember that his peak was before the 2001 Indian series. His peak was 2002-2007 and he didn't play India during his peak away except for that really horrible pitch where not even India could post a total. He has scored some decent tons in India and remember Stats don't tell you everything. I mean if we did listen to stats only then Sangakkara would be the best atm. :hysterical:

[Temujin Khaghan]

I would say Lara instead of Tendulkar just by very little but that's personal opinion. But there is no way you could compare Bradman to modern batsman and vice versa because things were completely different. It was like a different game. In regards to Ponting remember that his peak was before the 2001 Indian series. His peak was 2002-2007 and he didn't play India during his peak away except for that really horrible pitch where not even India could post a total. He has scored some decent tons in India and remember Stats don't tell you everything. I mean if we did listen to stats only then Sangakkara would be the best atm. :hysterical:

stats tell us that sanga scored 21 centuries in home and 10 away... difference b/whome and away - ---> 63.27 and 47.30 ---> appx 16 runs for jayawardene it is 22 and 9 and home/away avgs are ----> 61.12 and 39.35 ---. appx 22 runs its is very easy to weed out the flat track bullies from the class acts in the all time run aggregate list

[CG]

you are misrepresenting the statistics... clarke averages 40.5 in india with 3 centuries and 4 half centuries in 25 innings ponting averages 26.48 in india with 1 century and 5 half centuries in 25 innings clarke did not play in pakistan ponting averages 119 in pakistan... true.. but with only 1 50+ score and in only 2 innings... some sample size huh? :D so this is not comparable clarke played just 5 innings in srilanka... small sample size again - 42.80 average with 1 100+ and 50+ each ponting did well... 48.20 in 16 innings with 2 100s and 3 50s again.. this is not comparable

U said ponting struggled in SC and it was a wrong comment thats why i brought the stats. Ponting Averages more than clarke in srilanka playing against like of muruli. Yes ponting had horror run in 2001 series but those days we had bhajji at his peak and kumble on dustbowls.Clarke on those wickets would have struggled. As i said take those 2 innings where blind umpires helped clarke and his average drops. I hated ponting when he was close to tendulakar but i do appreciate his style of play .

[Sarkar]

sachin > bradman

[Temujin Khaghan]

U said ponting struggled in SC and it was a wrong comment thats why i brought the stats. Ponting Averages more than clarke in srilanka playing against like of muruli. Yes ponting had horror run in 2001 series but those days we had bhajji at his peak and kumble on dustbowls.Clarke on those wickets would have struggled. As i said take those 2 innings where blind umpires helped clarke and his average drops. I hated ponting when he was close to tendulakar but i do appreciate his style of play .

clarke played a measly 5 innings on the lankan soil which is hardly enuf sample for us to compare with ponting ponting's 141 against an ageing pakistan bowling lineup increases his average on srilankan soil the only comparable area b/w ponting and clarke is their innings on the indian soil. clarke outclasses him over here. you shouldn't bring bad decisions by the umpires into discussions when talking about statistics. everyone gets bad decisions and sometimes, the batsmen make the maximum use of it. even our batsmen got many wrong decisions giving them extra life and made big runs from then on in those innings.