The crowd at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior went into ruptures on the 24th of February 2010 when history was created. Many in the stands said that they were fortunate enough to see one of the greatest innings they have seen in one day cricket, because it is not everyday that one gets to see some one score 200 runs in one day internationals, and that someone was Sachin Tendulkar, one of the greatest players to have ever played the game. That he was from India was something that they were proud of, because every one knows cricket is a Religion in India and Sachin is considered as God.
Compliments poured in from former greats of the game. There is just no question about that. He is the greatest batsman the game has ever seen,” declared Sunil Gavaskar himself one of the greatest opening batsman in world cricket. Better than Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting, two other great players of my era, better than Sir Viv Richards, Sunil Gavaskar and Alan Border, and I would even say better than Sir Don Bradman himself,”said Nasser Hussain.Now the million-dollar question is what makes people think that Sachin is better than Bradman?Gavaskar had once said that unless and until someone scores more than 29 centuries in 52 tests, he cannot be compared to Bradman.Sachin took 99 test matches to notch up 30 centuries.Everyone knows that Bradman has a Test average of 99.94 compared to Sachin’s average of 55.57.
Let’s take a look at the first class records of both Sachin and Bradman.Sachin in 490 innings has scored 25,396 runs in first class cricket, with a healthy average of 57.84 with 81 centuries and 116 half centuries. Compare this with Bradman’s record of 28,067 runs in 338 innings with an astounding average of 95.14 with 117 centuries and 69 half centuries. Tendulkar has played 152 innings more than Bradman but scored 2671 runs less. Sachin is the greatest batsman of the modern era and let’s be happy with that. Comparing him to Bradman is unfair because Bradman is in a league of his own.
The master batsman from Mumbai is indeed an inspiration for an entire generation right from the common man on the streets to cricketers and Sports scribes. Everybody likes to write about him and sing his praises but most get carried away when writing about him with each trying to outdo the other in heaping laurels on him.Public memory can be very short and in 20 years from now Sachin’s deeds will be part of history to the generation in 2030.
Cut to March 2016 and already India has a player who people say has it in him to be an all time great.This is what Imran Khan has to say about him.”He has a lot of ability.The team depends on him. He is a star. He is going to emerge as an all-time great in the future. I see that much potential in him,” Pakistan’s World Cup winning captain and one of the greatest all-rounders of the game Imran Khan.That he is none other than Virat Kohli.The same Imran Khan felt that Inzamam Ul Haq was more talented than Sachin Tendulkar.
Imran, who had led Pakistan to World Cup glory in 1992, said Kohli could demolish all records.”It is very difficult to spot his weakness. He plays on both sides of the wicket. He plays both on the front and the back foot. He has a good temperament, technique,” Khan told Bengali news channel ABP Ananda.This was after Virat Kohli took India to its 11th straight victory against Pakistan in all formats of World cup.Now cricket pundits are already saying that Virat Kohli is ahead of Sachin Tendulkar at least in the shorter format.
The day someone has an average of 100 in tests or first class cricket he can be considered as the greatest batsman the world has ever seen.Till then Sir Donald Bradman will remain the greatest batsman ever to hold a cricket bat.
Sir Donald George Bradman’s Test Record
| Batting[219] | Bowling[220] | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition | Matches | Runs | Average | High Score | 100 / 50 | Runs | Wickets | Average | Best (Inns) |
 England |
37 | 5028 | 89.78 | 334 | 19/12 | 51 | 1 | 51.00 | 1/23 |
 India |
5 | 715 | 178.75 | 201 | 4/1 | 4 | 0 | – | – |
 South Africa |
5 | 806 | 201.50 | 299* | 4/0 | 2 | 0 | – | – |
 West Indies |
5 | 447 | 74.50 | 223 | 2/0 | 15 | 1 | 15.00 | 1/8 |
| Overall | 52 | 6996 | 99.94 | 334 | 29/13 | 72 | 2 | 36.00 | 1/8 |
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 16: Sachin Tendulkar of India bats during day two of the International Tour match between India and the Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI at Manuka Oval on December 16, 2011 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
| Sachin Tendulkar’s Test cricket record[166] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | Runs | Best | Average | 100s | 50s | |
| Home | 94 | 7216 | 217 | 52.67 | 22 | 32 |
| Away | 106 | 8705 | 248* | 54.74 | 29 | 36 |
Idle impressions 