TENDULKAR OR LARA

Tendulkar or Lara?

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar and Brian Charles Lara – the two best batsmen on the international circuit in recent times. Both are left handers (Sachin plays his cricket right handed) and both are match winners for their respective countries. But who is better? Of late, it would have to be Lara. But, who has done more? Lara has more runs, Tendulkar more centuries; Lara has more fifties, Tendulkar has a higher average.

But to recognise the true potential of these players, one has to look at how they have performed in matches their teams have won. Tendulkar has 35 test centuries to his name. Twelve of Tendulkar’s hundreds have come in a winning cause.

Lara has 34 hundreds to his name and 8 of them have come in a winning cause. But, Lara has played 3 matches lesser than Tendulkar. How relevant that is is a different question.

There are just so many aspects that can contribute to one’s being a good player. Tendulkar has a ‘better’ (rather more orthodox) technique than Lara. But Lara on his day, is probably the only man who has the credit of being able to take the attack to the opposition with more ease than Tendulkar. Tendulkar does not have a flaw is his technique that can be really exploited by bowlers, but the bowlers have to take advantage of Lara’s tendency to come far across the stumps regularly.

Lara is much fitter undoubtedly than Tendulkar will be at Lara’s age. But one can argue that Lara is West Indian while Tendulkar is an Indian.