Last chance to salute India's Bradman

[Gambit]

Last chance to salute India's Bradman By Mike Coward November 24, 2007 THE reception afforded Sachin Tendulkar this summer will be a measure of the maturity of the Australian cricket community. While he will reject the very notion, Tendulkar can claim to be the greatest batsman since Don Bradman and his visit this summer provides us with a priceless opportunity to pay him homage. A sustained and heart-felt farewell to him should be as much a part of the series promotion as the quest by the Australians to better their record of 16 consecutive Test match victories. Historically, Indian teams have not been greeted with the affection and enthusiasm reserved for visits by England and, for a period, the West Indies. However, the sphere of influence in world cricket has changed dramatically in recent years and India is now the game's powerbroker and demanding the respect and recognition long denied it by the entrenched attitudes of traditionally Anglocentric legislators. The Board of Control for Cricket in India no longer kowtows at the international table and, indeed, boasts considerable clout. And there can be no doubt its greater say extends to programming. Cricket Australia had no option but to restructure this international season after the BCCI said its team would not be available until late December. As it happens, this hiatus provides CA and its rights holders with a priceless opportunity to promote the Tendulkar farewell and therefore demonstrate their awareness and worldliness. There was a good deal of criticism at the lack of publicity and promotion leading into the inaugural Warne-Muralidaran Trophy series, which concluded in front of mainly schoolchildren in Hobart on Tuesday. Queensland Cricket chief executive Graham Dixon and David Johnston, his counterpart at the Tasmanian Cricket Association, are among the most temperate of administrators, but they felt compelled to register disappointment at the lacklustre promotion of the Sri Lanka series. They had been told that every step would be taken to capitalise on the success of last season's Ashes series. This was not the case. Tendulkar is the most self-effacing of men and is always embarrassed when his name is linked with Bradman. Be that as it may, there is no doubting his genius and he was honoured rather than flattered when told that Bradman was an admirer. That Bradman called to his wife to watch 18-year-old Tendulkar in full cry on his first tour here in 1991-92 has become a precious part of the lore of Australian cricket. "Doesn't he remind you of me when I was young," Bradman asked Jessie in the summer that Tendulkar scored the first two of his seven hundreds against Australia - an undefeated 148 in Sydney and 114 in Perth a month later. His achievement in Sydney gave him the distinction of becoming the youngest man to score a century in Australia - an honour that had been held by Neil Harvey, who at the age of 19 and 121 days scored 153 for Bradman's Australians against India at Melbourne in February, 1948. Harvey, 79, these days known for his often stern criticism of the contemporary cricketer, is an unabashed admirer of Tendulkar and believes as a batsman the Indian master to be the closest to Bradman he has seen. In 1998, Tendulkar was flown to Adelaide as a special guest at a major celebration of Bradman's 90th birthday. Although Bradman did not attend the function, he received and was photographed with Tendulkar at his home in Kensington Park in Adelaide's eastern suburbs. Apparently they talked more about the evolution of the game than principles of technique. Little if anything is to be achieved from a statistical comparison as the realm inhabited by Tendulkar is unrecognisable from Bradman's world. That Bradman's figures will never be matched let alone surpassed is as much a weakness as it is a strength of the game. It should be remembered that over 20 years from 1928, Bradman played his 52 Test matches on just 10 grounds in eight cities in Australia and England for his 6996 runs at an average of 99.94. Tendulkar, 34, who has entered his 19th year as a Test player, is presently matching wits with Pakistan in Delhi in his 141st match. This is one of the 43 Test match grounds in 13 countries - a figure which respects the sovereignty of the Caribbean cricket countries - on which he has strutted his stuff. And he went into this match with 11,150 runs to his name, just 24 behind Allan Border and 752 in arrears of Brian Lara, the heaviest run-getter in Test cricket. The scorer of 37 hundreds, Tendulkar is averaging an imposing 54.92. Against Australia, he has scored 1859 runs at 53.11 in 21 Tests - 1029 of them at 54.16 in 12 Tests in Australia. Surely there is no doubt that Tendulkar, Lara and Australian captain Ricky Ponting are the truly great batsmen of the contemporary game. It is a constant joy to watch players of such stature, and the fact Tendulkar and Ponting will be on the same stage this summer brings a thrilling dimension to this Border-Gavaskar series. The fact that Ponting is poised to usurp him as the world's greatest batsman no doubt will ensure Tendulkar will be at his peak. He may have slowed a little in reflex and timing, but the fire still burns within. He has always been competitive by nature and he will enjoy a contest of the highest quality. It will be a considerable challenge for Ponting to wrest his crown. Indo-Australian cricket, which celebrates its diamond anniversary this summer, is poised to enter a new phase and one of greater significance on the world stage. These days the Border-Gavaskar Trophy resonates with enthusiasts the world over. And such is the Indian diaspora that Tendulkar is assured of an emotional farewell from thousands of expatriates who will bring a special vibrancy to the series. And it is to be earnestly hoped the public will be just as loud in their praise of the modern master. For it is a privilege to see him play. http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22812775-23212,00.html :isalute:

[Chandan]

Looks like most of the media persons are now coming on track and accepting their mistake on judging Sachin wrongly just after WC. First Brijnath did that, now Fox-sports is doing so.

[Gambit]

If he does well in OZ, IanC might do the same.

[Guest BossBhai]

-- Removed on request of the user --

[Tapioca]

Good to see a sensible article from the aussie press for a change.

Mike Coward is a decent writer. You should read Robert Craddock, Malcolm Conn, Mark Ray and the new addition Peter Lalor to feel the quality of Australian cricket journalism.

[Prudent]

Mike Coward is a decent writer. You should read Robert Craddock' date=' Malcolm Conn, Mark Ray and the [u']new addition Peter Lalor to feel the quality of Australian cricket journalism.

Say you are joking...

[Predator_05]

Will Australia give him the same post series tribute (ie; calling him up to the podium, giving him an award or something) as they gave to Lara in 2005 ?

[Mr. Wicket]

Mike Coward is a decent writer. You should read Robert Craddock' date=' Malcolm Conn, Mark Ray and the new addition Peter Lalor to feel the quality of Australian cricket journalism.[/quote'] You oughta be more careful with how you word your comments. Anyone reading that might think you're calling Conn-man a journalist...

[bharat297]

Hold on ... there are no haters and doubters anymore ... crap Sachin doesnt have anyone to prove wrong now ... quick someone say some crap about Sachin.

[praveenj]

IanC is an admirer of Sachin and he tried to advice sachin to hang his boots up as no one wants sachin to be sacked out. Same was done by Sanjay Manjrekar as well, a well-known friend of Sachin. They just went so much on by advising sachin where they could have simply leave the decision to Sachin himself. Ian Chappell certainly admires Sachin's batting... listen to some of his commentary on India-Oz series...