Today's the day when Wickman finally grudgingly admits that Sachin Tendulkar can bat. Not only has the man completely dominated Test cricket with 47 hundreds in his career, he has now notched up 200* against Steyn, Kalls, Parnell and some also rans in an ODI eclipsing the old record of 194 held by Saaed Anwar for the small matter of 13 years.
All the while he's been playing he has plotted his career at the same time as the previous favourite for "greatest batsman Wickman has seen live", Brian Lara. His career also coincided with Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Jaques Kallis, all of whom, through sheer weight of runs, have dominated their eras. But recently Tendulkar has pulled away from that chasing pack and completely dominated all but Lara.
While they were all there chipping away at his position as leading run scorer or almost matching him ton for ton or simply outblasting him (this correspondent has never seen him really cut loose and kill a game) he has seemed somehow pale in comparison. Because there is no risk, so little flourish, so very little flash, no breathtaking risk and little audacity he's almost appeared pedestrian and dull.
On his day Lara was certainly more exciting to watch and easier on the eye. He played for a team that would have disintegrated years before it did without him. He tormented the best Australian sides time after time and destroyed England at will amassing 700+ runs in two innings at the same ground four years apart.
Perhaps up until now, Sachin's failure to deliver a really big single score in the 300s has unfairly limited him. Perhaps the lack of hyperbole has held him back. The Little Master is hardly the epithet that you would choose to describe a batsman of violent intent and innovative fury. Perhaps to dominate by sheer weight of runs alone is not enough. You must crush opposition and drive them into the dust.
The Little Master (there, Wickman has said it) has reached a new level of ruthless efficiency though recently. The last couple of years have seen a jump in 100-making productivity in the Test arena. He is rattling from 40 to 50 in the blink of an eye despite India playing hardly any Test Cricket. And now he's reached 200 in a one dayer. Yes its in India. Yes it looks from the scorecard as if it's been a road to bat on. But he did it against South Africa. Surely this is the final statistic to show that he too can dominate on his day, not just through the longevity of his career.
Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club * 1863 - 2013 * 150 Glorious Seasons
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Have you seen a better bat than Tendulkar?
Today's the day when Wickman finally grudgingly admits that Sachin Tendulkar can bat. Not only has the man completely dominated Test cricket with 47 hundreds in his career, he has now notched up 200* against Steyn, Kalls, Parnell and some also rans in an ODI eclipsing the old record of 194 held by Saaed Anwar for the small matter of 13 years.
All the while he's been playing he has plotted his career at the same time as the previous favourite for "greatest batsman Wickman has seen live", Brian Lara. His career also coincided with Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Jaques Kallis, all of whom, through sheer weight of runs, have dominated their eras. But recently Tendulkar has pulled away from that chasing pack and completely dominated all but Lara.
While they were all there chipping away at his position as leading run scorer or almost matching him ton for ton or simply outblasting him (this correspondent has never seen him really cut loose and kill a game) he has seemed somehow pale in comparison. Because there is no risk, so little flourish, so very little flash, no breathtaking risk and little audacity he's almost appeared pedestrian and dull.
On his day Lara was certainly more exciting to watch and easier on the eye. He played for a team that would have disintegrated years before it did without him. He tormented the best Australian sides time after time and destroyed England at will amassing 700+ runs in two innings at the same ground four years apart.
Perhaps up until now, Sachin's failure to deliver a really big single score in the 300s has unfairly limited him. Perhaps the lack of hyperbole has held him back. The Little Master is hardly the epithet that you would choose to describe a batsman of violent intent and innovative fury. Perhaps to dominate by sheer weight of runs alone is not enough. You must crush opposition and drive them into the dust.
The Little Master (there, Wickman has said it) has reached a new level of ruthless efficiency though recently. The last couple of years have seen a jump in 100-making productivity in the Test arena. He is rattling from 40 to 50 in the blink of an eye despite India playing hardly any Test Cricket. And now he's reached 200 in a one dayer. Yes its in India. Yes it looks from the scorecard as if it's been a road to bat on. But he did it against South Africa. Surely this is the final statistic to show that he too can dominate on his day, not just through the longevity of his career.
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