Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar vs Mathew Lawrence Hayden

Mathew Hayden recently came into the list of the top 5 run scorers in one season. Topping that list is Sachin Tendulkar. There’s nothing much to differenciate between the two years in which these batsman scored a bulk of runs.

Tendulkar tops the list for scoring 1894 runs at an average of 65.31 from 33 matches in 1998. Hayden has scored 1042 runs (and counting – unless of course he scores a duck in every innings he plays from now in 2007) in 2007 from 19 matches at an average of 65.12.

Had Tendulkar played hundred matches in that season (1998), he would had scored 5740 runs in the season. If Hayden goes on to play 100 matches this season with the same batting form as he is now, he will (statistically) score 5485 runs in 2007.^*

This, if you consider a legitimate analysis, indicates that Tendulkar in fact was batting better in 1998 than Hayden in 2007.

In that magical year in 1998, Tendulkar scored 9 hundreds out of which 4 were against Australia (we’re all unhappy for you Shane.) He played 7 innings against Australia in that season and scored 4 hundreds against them. Hayden, thus far has scored only four hundreds. And if Hayden bats in the form he presently is, he would have scored only 7 hundreds when he has played his 33^rd match this year. In the same situation he would have scored 5 fifties as against Tendulkar’s 7.

Hayden has scored a score above 50 in 42% of the matches he has played as against Tendulkar’s 51%.

Unfortunately for Hayden stats are not going his way. We only hope form does. -BS