Sachin Tendulkar: the greatest of them all

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By Kersi Meher-Homji, 16 Nov 2009 Kersi Meher-Homji is a Roar Expert

Tagged:: Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar

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India's Sachin Tendulkar celebrates hitting a century on day three of the second test against Australia in Sydney, Australia, Friday, Jan. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith)

Sunday marked the 20th anniversary for Sachin Tendulkar’s glittering Test career. As a 16 year-old tousle-haired rookie, he took on the might of Pakistani quickies Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis in the Karachi Test which commenced on 15 November 1989.

He did not set the field on fire as he scored only 15 runs but managed two fifties in other Tests in the series.

The last twenty years have seen the blossoming of many star batsmen; Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Javed Miandad, Mark and Steve Waugh and Matthew Hayden being among the brightest in the galaxy. They have impressed in Tests and one-day internationals.

They are rated highly by critics based on their style and flair, prolific run-making and match-winning ability.

But as this is Sachin’s 20th anniversary, let us focus on him and compare him statistically with Lara and Ponting at Test level and with Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya and Ponting in One-day internationals (ODIs). By runs scored, these four have been the most prolific batsmen in the history of the game.

As Lara has retired from both forms of cricket and Jayasuriya from Tests, it will be particularly interesting to compare the two modern masters, Sachin and Ricky.

Although Ricky, 34, is only 20 months younger than Sachin, he made his Test debut six years after the Indian prodigy.

Statistics do not tell the whole story (at times they mislead) but when one has played for over a decade they give a fair indication.

Below are the Test statistics of the Top 3 Test batsmen:

Tendulkar has scored 12,773 runs at 54.58 in 159 Tests with 42 centuries (highest score 248 not out) and 53 fifties.

Lara blasted 11,953 runs at 52.88 in 131 Tests with 34 centuries (HS 400 n.o.) and 48 fifties.

Ponting has stroked 11,345 runs at 55.88 in 136 Tests with 38 centuries (HS 257) and 48 fifties.

Tendulkar has accumulated the most runs and hit the most centuries in the Test arena. Only Allan Border (63) and Rahul Dravid (57) have hit more fifties than Sachin (53). Lara’s unbeaten 400 remains a Test record.

In ODIs, Tendulkar again leads with 17,178 runs at 44.50 in 436 matches with 45 centuries (HS 186 n.o.) and 91 fifties. He is followed by Jayasuriya, 13,377 runs at 32.54 in 441 matches with 28 centuries (HS 189) and 68 fifties, and Ponting 12,311 runs at 43.19 in 330 ODIs with 28 tons (HS 164) and 73 fifties.

Imagine Tendulkar out-scoring no.2 Jayasuriya by 3,801 runs in five fewer matches. This speaks volumes for his greatness. He has also recorded most centuries (45) and most fifties (91) in ODIs.

Amazing.

Combining statistics at Test and ODI levels, Tendulkar tops with 29,951 runs with 87 centuries in 595 internationals. Then come Ponting 23,656 runs with 66 centuries in 466 matches and Lara 22,358 runs with 53 centuries in 430.

Thus the Indian Little Master is a whopping 6,295 runs and 21 centuries ahead of the next most prolific batsman, Ricky. Sachin needs only 49 runs to touch 30,000 international runs.

Sachin has scored nine ODI centuries against Australia, which is the highest for any player against one country. He occupies second place too, for his eight hundreds against Sri Lanka.

Jayasuriya, with seven hundreds against India and Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar, with seven against Sri Lanka, follow the soft-spoken Indian superstar.

I add in conclusion that against over 130 Tests played by the current greats, Don Bradman played only 52 Tests, Wally Hammond 85, Neil Harvey and Len Hutton 79 each, Everton Weekes 48 and Graeme Pollock 23.

The imagination boggles as to how many runs some of these legends would have amassed on covered pitches with shortened boundary lines, wearing helmets and using new style bats had they played 130 Tests each.

But back then they did not play international cricket day in and night out as they do now.

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The Crowd Says (49) | Page 1 of Comments

vinay verma said | November 16th 2009 @ 8:30am | Report comment

Kersi..Tendulkar is Indian cricket’s credibility. Ayaz Memon from DNA pointed out that were it not for Tendulkar the match fixing episode would have cruelled India’s reputation. Also his lack of tantrums and posing set him apart from other “brats” He has been a masterclass in manners,humility and prodigious talent. He remains a team man and has said “his personal achievements mean nothing when India loses.”

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Freud of Football said | November 16th 2009 @ 8:35am | Report comment

Kersi, I must admit I have nothing but admiration for Tendulkar. I felt like he was the one player during the time of Australia’s dominance that could actually outplay Australia. Lara, for all his greatness failed too often, the other Indians including Laxman (who was only ever successful against Australia) were never good enough, none of the Poms could match them, the South African’s were always one step behind etc etc.

However, I think the stats here are a little biased.

I’d be really interested to see just how many games India have played against “quality” opposition. Or how many runs he’s scored in WC’s compared with the others.

Jayasuria might be a long way behind in the runs but he was every bit as likely to make a duck or a century, that was the nature of the beast, Tendulkar was much more the grafter who would set his innings.

Overall, Tendulkar definately deserves to go down in history but not on the basis of any facts or stats, Ponting has a better ODI average but Tendulkar was the better batsman, Tendulkar has the most ODI centuries yet Jayasuria’s on the whole were more entertaining and important for the comparatively weak Sri Lanka.

Tendulkar shouldn’t be remembered like the Don – 99.94 – he should be remembered for being the best in the world, for being able to take it to the Australian’s when no-one else could and for playing cricket the way it was meant to be played.

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vinay verma said | November 16th 2009 @ 8:44am | Report comment

One more thing to remember..Tendulkar never took the oposition for granted. He picked David Boon’s mind to get a clue on how to face Ambrose and Walsh and Boon remarked.” What ,You,want to ask Me for advice.” And then his month long practicising against Siva bowling around the stumps before Warne’s arrival.

He left nothing to chance.

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Kersi Meher-Homji said | November 16th 2009 @ 9:54am | Report comment

Vinay, I enjoyed Ayaz Memon’s assessment of Sachin in “Seriously Cricket Chronicles”. Also all the tributes in CricInfo , SMH and The Roar.

Freud, I am with you that Sachin should be remembered more for his batsmanship against strong attacks and value to his side, his elegance and bold innovative strokeplay rather than just stats. But already many tributes have been paid praising his legendary status. I had attended his three masterclasses on the SCG spanning two millennia. To be different, I preferred to go statistical.

As stated by me in this post, Ricky has a slightly batting average than Sachin in Tests, 55.88 to 54.58 while Sachin has a slightly higher average than Ricky in ODIs, 44.50 to 43.19. Not that it matters. Both are great batsmen and a pleasure to watch.

Freud, you want Sachin’s stats in World Cup (WC). He has excelled, scoring maximum runs at an average of 57.93. Again Sachin, Ricky, Lara and Jayasuriya are Top-4 run-getters:
Sachin 1796 runs at 57.93 in in 36 matches, hitting 4 centuries, highest score 152.
Ricky 1537 runs at 48.03 in 39 matches with 4 centuries, HS 140 not out.
Lara 1225 runs at 42.24 in 34 matches with 2 centuries, HS116.
Jayasuriya 1165 runs at 34.26 in 38 matches with 3 centuries, HS 120.

Only Viv Richards (63.31) and Herchelle Gibbs (56.15) have better averages than Sachin among those who have scored over 1000 runs in WC.

I realise Sachin had a horor WC in 2007 and was crucified by everyone, especially by Indian supporters. But he has come out of that horrific year in flying colours. A sign of greatness.

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Fisher Price said | November 16th 2009 @ 1:27pm | Report comment

Sorry to off topic, but I see that Brett Lee has once again broken down ahead of a first class fixture.

Surprise, surprise…

Still, in avoiding another ‘selection trial’ he can further the myth that he’d be awesome if fit, whereas I suspect (and have suspected for a couple of years) that he’s no longer up to it beyond the one-day game.

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Brian said | November 16th 2009 @ 3:00pm | Report comment

I’m gonna buck the consensus and put Sachin as the 2nd best batsman of the last 20 years. I’d put him slightly ahead of Ponting at 3 but behind Lara. Lara forever played in a bad team. Firstly ODI is not proper cricket so lets look at Tests. Ponting’s 55 average is robably a 50 if you take out Hayden & Langer + the comfort of S Waugh & Gilchrist batting behind you. Sachin too has had Dravid at No 3. Lara never had such comforts, in 1999 he single-handed drew a test series with Australia 2-2. Cricket is a team game and to have averaged 52 when you are constantly losing and coming in at 3/40 is better than 54 playing on dry pitches or 55 when your team is dominating the world. I suspect that most innings Lara played nearly the entire bowling attack team meeting the night before would have been on his wicket. Anyway just my 0.02 cents worth.

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- IShiv said | November 17th 2009 @ 10:23pm | Report comment
  
  But Lara never had the pressure of billions of people. I dont think any other cricketer had the pressure of so many people every time he went out to bat. Despite that he has scored so many runs and been amazingly consistent. Thats why he ranks the best in my list. Wish India had a better bowling attack as other teams did. No one would have had that question of why he did not win test matches for India.
  
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  - Tim said | June 25th 2011 @ 8:24pm | Report comment
    
    I have never understood the ‘pressure of Billions of people’ argument. When you are in the middle explain to me how the pressure of a Billion people is any different to the pressure of 20million?
    
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davido said | November 16th 2009 @ 6:23pm | Report comment

In Test matches he ranks behind Ponting and ahead of Lara. You can take 10% off Tendulkar’s average from having played on overly batsman friendly pitches for the majority of his career. Plus, he buckled under the challenge of captaincy. If he had to play the majority of his cricket as the captain he would have been finished by now. The only valid comparison you can make is with his fellow teammates – he outshines them pretty comfortably.

I think it is important not to mistake quantity for quality. Thus excluding batsman who have batted for less than ten years is way to restrictive. Also, in ODI, Tendulkar is no-where near the best batsman. Many many batsman are better ODI players than he is. Not all of them have had the opportunities he has had.

The constant comparisons between Tendulkar and Bradman made my the Indian press are merely pandering to the great unwashed masses. The indian presses ignorance is embarassing for all involved.

That he started playing at 16 tells you more about the lack of talent in India at that time. That he has lasted 20 years tells you something about his mental strength.

Sachin is on his last legs now. He constantly faces criticism at home for his recent run of lacklustre performances (175 excepted). Expect his retirement after the next WC.

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- dasilva said | November 16th 2009 @ 9:21pm | Report comment
  
  Ponting average about 40 during the 90s. THis was the time of good pitches and high quality fast bowlers like Walsh, Ambrose, Pollock and donald (At their peak), Akram, younis etc
  
  Ponting only started average 50+ when the standard of pace bowling had gone down hill due to retirements of past legend going or them going past their useby date.
  
  Anyone who average 50+ during the 90s is a far greater achievement then averaging 50+ during the first half of 00′s. That’s why the likes of Tendulkar, Lara and S. Waugh I rate above Ponting where right especially during the first half of the 00′s where a lot of excellent batsmans (but not world class players) average 50.
  
  Also India isn’t a overly batsman friendly wicket, it is a spin friendly wicket though. However I don’t see people who triumph on spin friendly wickets should be disgarded when people who triump on pace friendly wickets to be celebrated. Hell Tendulkar bashing shane warne and muralitharan around on spin friendly subcontinent wicket is no easy task.
  
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Justin said | November 16th 2009 @ 8:42pm | Report comment

All players mentioned are fantastic, splitting hairs on averages really and we can make all sorts of arguments like he bats at 4 whereas RP bats 3, he plays on tiny grounds like Lara did but all in all I think they each find a way to score where ever they play and against whoever they play.

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bever fever said | November 16th 2009 @ 8:48pm | Report comment

Averages dont tell the full story, for mine it was the enjoyment of watching Mark waugh bat in full flight or Greg Chappell or even David Gower.

Or at different times the arrogance and strength of Viv Richards.

Averages mean nothing, watching batsman just compiling runs like Boycott does nothing for most people even cricket fans.

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vinay verma said | November 16th 2009 @ 10:26pm | Report comment

Comparisons across eras are hypothetical. Great batsmen like Bradman,Vi Richards,Gavaskar,Ponting ,Tendulkar,Lara and Sobers would have prospered in any era. Lets enjoy them for the privilege they gave us.
Ponting played the pace of the Two W’s,Wasim and Waquar and then Shoaib plus the spin of Murali and Harbhajan.

Tendulkar had Warne on a leash and mastered Murali and had some tremendous battles with McGrath and Alan Donald,not to mention the two W’s.
Lara was supreme against Murali,McGrath and Warne. All individuals and a class apart. All carried the hopes of a Nation.

I would add Dravid to the list as he has gone about his work without any fanfare. He scored 177 not out today at a strike rate of 71 and came in at 4 down for 32 . And the best batsmen bat at three. At this stage Dravid is more important for India in Tests. And he is the world record holder for catches
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Greg Chappell was also a great batsman and his elegance under fire has passed into fable and folklore. I could write a book on GC’s supreme batsmanship.

Gower was all sophitication and urban charm.Mark Waugh and Gower were naturals and played cricket the way it was meant to be played. Viv Richards,he of the casablanca swagger and controlled machismo…do you guys want more?

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