For years these two legends have
broken many records and no doubt they are going to break many in the
coming years. The Question that arises in every one's mind is"Lara or
Tendulkar".Lets see.
. Is Lara a better batsman than India's Sachin
Tendulkar? Here is collection of some views .
Wisden
Wisden writes in a
piece headlined "Tendulkar the Great (and getting greater)". It went on
to cite that Tendulkar's had been the 28 most prolific years and 27 of the
most prodigious months in the history of batting.
Player Views
Steve Waugh:
"You take Don Bradman away and he (Sachin) is next up, I reckon."
Brian Lara:
"Sachin
is a genius. I'm a mere mortal. I would like to be a lot more consistent.
I would like to be a (Sachin) Tendulkar, or someone like that, someone who
could go out in the middle and keep scoring; if he doesn't get a hundred,
he gets at least 30 or 40, and scores like that. You know, it would be
great to be that sort of individual. But, looking at it, I am also
happy to be the player that I am. The big scores that I get, scoring 500
runs in one innings, or 375 runs in another innings, is something special
too. I have got to be able to take the good with the bad. I am quite happy
with the way things are for me batting-wise. But, as a top-flight player,
you want to be considered not only as someone who could spoon out great
performances, but someone who has been consistent over the years. I have
not been able to measure up to that yet, but hopefully, in the latter part
of my career, I will be able to do that."
Marlon Samuels:
"Sachin is
the best batsman in the world. The way he lifts the team and the way he
bats. Watching him play helps me in my batting." Andy Flower: "There's
Sachin on one hand, and then there are the rest of us."
Wasim Akram:
"I
have bowled to both Tendulkar and Lara and I have found Lara more
attacking. Tendulkar has a tighter technique, no doubt, but Lara can
single-handedly win the game for his team. I am not saying Tendulkar
cannot do it but Lara has maybe done it more often than him. If you are
asking me who the best batsman I have bowled to is, then it's not
Tendulkar and not Lara as well. It's Martin Crowe... he was an amazing
batsman. Regarding Tendulkar and Lara, I would love to have both in my
team! Who wouldn't?"
Glenn McGrath:
"For me, it's Tendulkar. Both are
class acts but I am saying this because I have had more success against
Lara than I have against Tendulkar. I think I have a fair idea of what
Lara likes and doesn't like and I feel I can make his life at the crease
very uncomfortable. He is vulnerable outside the off-stump early on and is
not as tight as Tendulkar in defense. I would go for Tendulkar as the best
in the world."
Waqar Younis:
"Unfortunately, I have not bowled enough
to Tendulkar in Test matches but there is no doubt about his class. I have
bowled against Lara and I have had some success against him. I think over
the years I would say I have been fifty-fifty against both Tendulkar and
Lara. I have got them a few times and they have got runs against me as
well. I can never forget a 16-year-old Tendulkar batting on after being
struck on the nose by a fast bouncer from me. I think Tendulkar is
mentally tougher than Lara."
Muthiah Muralitharan:
"I have played a lot
of cricket against Tendulkar compared to what I have played against Lara.
While both are difficult to bowl to, I think Lara plays me better than
Tendulkar. That Lara is a left-hander is an advantage to him, but the
great thing about him is he launches into the attack straightaway. He uses
his feet well against me while Tendulkar relies more on the sweep, I feel.
I find Lara tougher."
Jason Gillespie:
"In my opinion it's Tendulkar
who is ahead of the two. Mentally stronger than Lara, he has a better
technique as well. Tendulkar doesn't get worked up like Lara when the
opposition has a few words to say to him. Lara on his day can be
destructive, but you have to look at consistency and I think Tendulkar is
definitely more consistent than Lara."
Saqlain Mushtaq:
"Both have
their good qualities but I feel Tendulkar doesn't give as many chances as
Lara does. Lara, once he settles down, can be a better player to watch
because of the left-hander's grace and also because he plays more shots.
He has played more match-winning innings compared to Tendulkar because he
finished off the job once he is in. But Sachin is more compact and puts a
heavy price on his wicket. It is more difficult to dislodge Tendulkar
compared to Lara."
Barry
Richards:
"Lara is a better batsman than Sachin simply because he tends to
score big whenever he plays against teams like Australia and South Africa
and the stats actually support it. Lara has scored three 200's against the
Aussies 2 of which have come in Australia and apart from that he has a
test record of 375 as well whereas Sachin has a couple of 200's against
New Zealand and Zimbabwe and that too in India."
Sir Vivian Richards :
"Players like Sachin
deserve to be preserved in cotton wool. I first saw him when he was touring
England. I saw two of his innings. When you start hitting respectable fast
bowlers for sixes over their heads then you are serving notice."
Geoffrey Boycott
(For Sachin)
:"Form is Temporary
but the Class is Permanent"
Sir Donald Bradman
"Sachin Style of Playing resembles my style.
That Touch I use to feel when I batted".
Great Sunil Gavaskar
"Sachin Tendulkar is better than Sir Donald
Bradman"
Andrew Flintoff
"Sachin Tendulkar is a better batsman than
brian Lara"
Ricky Ponting
"If I would like to have three men in my
team from the oppostion squad they would be Andrew Flintoff, Murali and
SACHIN TENDULKAR"