The Master is at the pinnacle!

[Uppercut]

Nah, go out now on top

Too late for that, Tendulkar's top was quite a while back. Imagine now is a good time to go. Right now. Without finishing this innings

 

[Cevno]

Yeah I wasn't actually talking about the Lara comparison there, merely the 12,000.

2002 IMO. I never said they weren't though did I? In any case Tendulkar didn't play the series in 2005/06, so they're not relevant.

Tendulkar's run tally against Test-class teams before this match was 11383. FTR, Lara's (ie, excluding from what is officially counted Zimbabwe in 2003/04, Bangladesh, and the World XI game) is 11517.

Tnedular is now then at 11471 then.

 

[Richard]

Too late for that, Tendulkar's top was quite a while back. Imagine now is a good time to go. Right now. Without finishing this innings

I do wonder if India win this series whether Tendulkar might not feel (especially if he has more good runs after this knock) that retirement might be perfect. Although I'd like him to play the England series TBH. Mind, I'd have liked Ganguly to have done that as well.

 

[archie mac]

Too late for that, Tendulkar's top was quite a while back. Imagine now is a good time to go. Right now. Without finishing this innings

I watched him score a ton on the SCG last Aussie summer, hard to imagine anyone could bat much better than that

 

[Uppercut]

I watched him score a ton on the SCG last Aussie summer, hard to imagine anyone could bat much better than that

He's awesome, but in his younger days he did it a lotttt more consistently. Said it before, if the past three years were his first three years he'd have been dropped without a moment's hesitation. (averages 36 ftr)

 

[duffer]

I do wonder if India win this series whether Tendulkar might not feel (especially if he has more good runs after this knock) that retirement might be perfect. Although I'd like him to play the England series TBH. Mind, I'd have liked Ganguly to have done that as well.

A World Cup at home probably looks tasty to him. Would love him to stay on and have us win one for him. Would be a crowning glory.

 

[four_or_six]

Master batsman Sachin Tendulkar breaks Lara's record and becomes the top runs scorer in Test Cricket. He's already numero uno in ODIs. The question is, what next?

Ponting to take the Test record?

Seriously though, fine effort. Would have liked to see him go on until tomorrow so that I could have watched some.

 

[Precambrian]

WTF should he retire? He should be made honorary member of Indian team till he, god forbid, retire from life.

 

[four_or_six]

WTF should he retire? He should be made honorary member of Indian team till he, god forbid, retire from life.

Would seriously love to see a 70-year old out there in a test match.

 

[masterblaster]

My favourite all time cricketer. Sachin Tendulkar is a once in a lifetime player, not only is he a champion in the game of cricket, but he's a champion bloke as well. Have had the honour of meeting with him on a few occassions and he's been so humble and down to earth every time.

Players will come and go, but there will never be another Sachin Tendulkar. He is the most complete cricketer India have ever had and one of the greatest the world has ever seen. I hope he doesn't retire and plays on for as long as he possibly can.

 

[masterblaster]

Would seriously love to see a 70-year old out there in a test match.

He'd still be better than our crop of younger players.

 

[SJS]

I watched him score a ton on the SCG last Aussie summer, hard to imagine anyone could bat much better than that

Absolutely.

That was one of his finest innings. I think Sachin is batting as well as most of his career with just one basic difference. He does not go after 'domination' (to let the bowler know that he is going to put him in his place) as he did in the first two thirds of his career. He does not step out to the spinners and hit them over long on and long off as he used to. Its possible that with age and his many injuries, his body has imposed limitations on him which he realises and is playing within those.

His batting is more circumspect. There are also more glides with the open face of the bat on the off side and the drives are not as thunderous. Again, I suspect it has to do with physical constraints. Skillwise, I do not think he is any less a cricketer today.

AS for comparing him with the youngsters waiting to get into the Indian side, one shouldn't dont even try it. One does it at ones own peril - the peril of exposing the limitaion of one's understanding of the game. If anyone thinks any of these youngsters could have played that innings in Australia earlier this year, he has another think coming.

 

[ret]

finally Sachin gets it!!!! it was only a matter of time .... I guess, Sachin is above the number game .... the man has done it all and no matter what he does, he is already one of the top 4-5 all-time batsmen .... lets leave the number uno and other such numbers for others

And I hope that he continues playing cricket longer than any other senior. He still has it in him to get those 100s

 

[masterblaster]

Absolutely.

That was one of his finest innings. I think Sachin is batting as well as most of his career with just one basic difference. He does not go after 'domination' (to let the bowler know that he is going to put him in his place) as he did in the first two thirds of his career. He does not step out to the spinners and hit them over long on and long off as he used to. Its possible that with age and his many injuries, his body has imposed limitations on him which he realises and is playing within those.

His batting is more circumspect. There are also more glides with the open face of the bat on the off side and the drives are not as thunderous. Again, I suspect it has to do with physical constraints. Skillwise, I do not think he is any less a cricketer today.

AS for comparing him with the youngsters waiting to get into the Indian side, one shouldn't dont even try it. One does it at ones own peril - the peril of exposing the limitaion of one's understanding of the game. If anyone thinks any of these youngsters could have played that innings in Australia earlier this year, he has another think coming.

Absolutely right. Sachin Tendulkar is incomparable. There is only one.

 

[Pratters]

Absolutely.

That was one of his finest innings. I think Sachin is batting as well as most of his career with just one basic difference. He does not go after 'domination' (to let the bowler know that he is going to put him in his place) as he did in the first two thirds of his career. He does not step out to the spinners and hit them over long on and long off as he used to. Its possible that with age and his many injuries, his body has imposed limitations on him which he realises and is playing within those.

His batting is more circumspect. There are also more glides with the open face of the bat on the off side and the drives are not as thunderous. Again, I suspect it has to do with physical constraints. Skillwise, I do not think he is any less a cricketer today.

AS for comparing him with the youngsters waiting to get into the Indian side, one shouldn't dont even try it. One does it at ones own peril - the peril of exposing the limitaion of one's understanding of the game. If anyone thinks any of these youngsters could have played that innings in Australia earlier this year, he has another think coming.

Is it just physical limitations which have made him alter his game? I think it is to cut out the risks from his game. Earlier, he used to play more air borne shots than he does today but manages to make the runs. His ODI run making has not suffered either which would tell me that he plays the way he does because he wants to. It is more strategic than any thing else.

 

[Uppercut]

Absolutely.

That was one of his finest innings. I think Sachin is batting as well as most of his career with just one basic difference. He does not go after 'domination' (to let the bowler know that he is going to put him in his place) as he did in the first two thirds of his career. He does not step out to the spinners and hit them over long on and long off as he used to. Its possible that with age and his many injuries, his body has imposed limitations on him which he realises and is playing within those.

His batting is more circumspect. There are also more glides with the open face of the bat on the off side and the drives are not as thunderous. Again, I suspect it has to do with physical constraints. Skillwise, I do not think he is any less a cricketer today.

AS for comparing him with the youngsters waiting to get into the Indian side, one shouldn't dont even try it. One does it at ones own peril - the peril of exposing the limitaion of one's understanding of the game. If anyone thinks any of these youngsters could have played that innings in Australia earlier this year, he has another think coming.

Not to take anything away from either his skill or his fantastic innings in Australia, but his persistent lack of runs recently can't be ignored wholly. Aesthetics, of which Tendulkar is god, have done a good job of hiding his mediocre scores of late. His last 26 matches, dating back to this date three years ago, have yielded 1551 runs at an average of 36.9. Less than players like Hashim Amla and Ian Bell. I don't think one can compare Tendulkar to any Indian youngsters, but i also feel that one can't compare the Tendulkar of today to the man at his peak. In terms of his ability to consistently score big, he's undeniable declined.

 

[SJS]

Is it just physical limitations which have made him alter his game? I think it is to cut out the risks from his game. Earlier, he used to play more air borne shots than he does today but manages to make the runs. His ODI run making has not suffered either which would tell me that he plays the way he does because he wants to. It is more strategic than any thing else.

Its easier in one day cricket. The fielding restriction make it easier for this master of placement to keep finding the gaps. But just see how his number of sixes has come down.

In Test matches, the field can be put wherever the fielding captain wants. Today, for example, Ponting brought the long on and long off in to Sachin. Yet he did not go out and hit thge ball over the mid on and mid off as he would have done earlier.

Similarly, left arm spinners have in the last few years bowled to him outside the leg stump and cramped him. Ten years ago, even a great like Warne bowling massively spinning leg breaks to him outside the legstump was treated with contempt. Sachin kept stepping right out upto the ball and hitting him out of the ground and even driving him to mid wicket with a straight bat all along the ground.

Similarly, when the off side fielders were closer, his drives, even then uppish, were so powerful that the fielders couldn't move and he did not often get caught off them. Today the drives are more timing and less power and if slightly lifted put him in danger of being caught.

 

[SJS]

Not to take anything away from either his skill or his fantastic innings in Australia, but his persistent lack of runs recently can't be ignored wholly.

You want me to contest that claim and shred it to pieces

 

[Pratters]

Its easier in one day cricket. The fielding restriction make it easier for this master of placement to keep finding the gaps. But just see how his number of sixes has come down.

In Test matches, the field can be put wherever the fielding captain wants. Today, for example, Ponting brought the long on and long off in to Sachin. Yet he did not go out and hit thge ball over the mid on and mid off as he would have done earlier.

Similarly, left arm spinners have in the last few years bowled to him outside the leg stump and cramped him. Ten years ago, even a great like Warne bowling massively spinning leg breaks to him outside the legstump was treated with contempt. Sachin kept stepping right out upto the ball and hitting him out of the ground and even driving him to mid wicket with a straight bat all along the ground.

Similarly, when the off side fielders were closer, his drives, even then uppish, were so powerful that the fielders couldn't move and he did not often get caught off them. Today the drives are more timing and less power and if slightly lifted put him in danger of being caught.

His sixes have come down as you said. He is not hitting long on and long off shots even when the fielders are in as you say. He has added different strokes to his game like the backward slice. For every ball, it seems to me that he can play two-three different shots but choses the safer route as a strategic move which he has gained via experience. I am not saying there has been no physical deterioration, mind.

Any ways, I am in the same boat as you that he is not any less a player skill wise than he was before.

It is all very interesting when it comes to Tendulkar.

 

[duffer]

Not to take anything away from either his skill or his fantastic innings in Australia, but his persistent lack of runs recently can't be ignored wholly. Aesthetics, of which Tendulkar is god, have done a good job of hiding his mediocre scores of late. His last 26 matches, dating back to this date three years ago, have yielded 1551 runs at an average of 36.9. Less than players like Hashim Amla and Ian Bell. I don't think one can compare Tendulkar to any Indian youngsters, but i also feel that one can't compare the Tendulkar of today to the man at his peak. In terms of his ability to consistently score big, he's undeniable declined.

I don't disagree that he hasn't scored as heavily as he should've however the implication that I seem to be getting from you is that he should be of been dropped due to these performances.

Problem is that as of now there are no players domestically in India who are fit to lace his boots even on current form. And even if there was a player or two he's the least of our worries form wise in our batting lineup.

The Sri Lankan series showed plenty of weaknesses from all of our middle order and Gambhir still hasn't cemented his spot as an for mine, so even if the selectors were looking to the chopping block he wouldn't be the first in line by any stretch.