****OFFICIAL**** Lara vs Tendulkar Debate Thread

[Jono]

Haha I'm just playing. Big Lara fan myself.

Personally always found him physically attractive too

 

[honestbharani]

Haha I'm just playing. Big Lara fan myself.

Personally always found him physically attractive too

know you, mate.. was juz playing along.



Seriously, Jono is as big a SAchin fan as any around here.. Why can't the others learn a thing or two from him?

 

[Sir Alex]

HB, why are you so much in a hurry to label Tendulkar's efforts in 1998 as on flat tracks? By that definition, the Prince's almost all hundreds made in theCarribean would have to be considered FTs isn't it?

(Petrol,fire etc)

 

[honestbharani]

HB, why are you so much in a hurry to label Tendulkar's efforts in 1998 as on flat tracks? By that definition, the Prince's almost all hundreds made in theCarribean would have to be considered FTs isn't it?

(Petrol,fire etc)

I saw the games in question. Yes, Lara's knocks in the Caribbean circia 2004/05 would fall under that category but there was almost always a pitch or two where run making was difficult. In India too, those pitches emerged now and then but mostly those were flat tracks.


And I don't think Chennai 98 was a flat track at all... And to be more to the point, do check the thread on 100 international hundreds for Sachin to see what I think of his knocks.

 

[vcs]

But that proves the other argument as null.. the one about longevity. Lara played McWarne MUCH more than Sachin and still did well.. shouldn't we be giving brownie points for him for that?

Hmm... I still feel the longevity argument for Sachin holds some validity because as I mentioned, he outlasted the pair of McWarne and managed to score against 3 generations of Aussie bowlers (McDermott/Hughes, McWarne/Gillespie, Johnson/Lee), Lara only played the first two generations. I just think it's unfortunate that Tendulkar got to play only 7 Tests against McWarne for whatever reason even though their careers completely overlapped while Lara played 16.. so yeah credit to Lara but no debit to Tendulkar... if that makes sense. The other interesting point is that the younger bowlers of this generation (the likes of Steyn, Mendis, Asif, Johnson etc.) probably grew up watching Tendulkar videos and trying to work out how to bowl at his weaknesses and he still manages to hold his own.

You know, mate, I fully understand and appreciate opinions of posters like you and Sanz who have seen enough of both and then conclude that Sachin is better by whatever margin you feel it is. It is when I see nonsense being sprouted out about Lara and the longevity argument that I end up posting like the one you have quoted.. It juz irks me. Sorry.

I'm also a big Lara fan and consider myself privileged to watch that 153* in '99, one of my fondest cricket memories right up there with any of India's big wins. And yeah, I agree that it's pretty much personal preference when it comes to separating these two. Maybe if I was West Indian, I might have gone with Lara having watched more of him carrying a weak team.

 

[Sir Alex]

Sachin missed out on McGrath during the former's peak years in the 90s. In 1995 and 1998, McGrath didn't tour, and Sachin did very well in 1999 and 2001. The only blip was the two tests in 2004, for obvious reasons (injury) etc.

 

[honestbharani]

Sachin missed out on McGrath during the former's peak years in the 90s. In 1995 and 1998, McGrath didn't tour, and Sachin did very well in 1999 and 2001. The only blip was the two tests in 2004, for obvious reasons (injury) etc.

Relax.. No one is saying he cannot play them. I am juz trying to show you why the longevity argument is absurd once the players in question have performed at a certain level over a certain period of time.

 

[Ikki]

I also think the longevity argument is less important than what Sir Alex is trying to convey. Having said that, the fact that he turned around his rut in his more advanced years is what matters for me. Lara did that - he had a bad period then came tops towards the end again showing his class in terms of adjusting. Tendulkar in the last few years has also done that so that's important.

 

[Sir Alex]

Relax.. No one is saying he cannot play them. I am juz trying to show you why the longevity argument is absurd once the players in question have performed at a certain level over a certain period of time.

From an individual point of view, I agree. As there is "little left to prove" in that kind. Tendulkar and Lara both have achieved what a mere mortal can expect to achieve in test cricket.

But the longetivity argument takes strength when you see from the team point of view. See with Tendulkar, he has already played 168 tests and has every chance to play about 180 or even more tests. An ordinary cricketer starting out will consider himself lucky to play even half of that, ie, 90 tests. And a team would be glad if it were to develop such a player who played near about 100 test matches. Remember a team also takes a hit especially in the earlier years of a newbie, where it will tolerate less than brilliant performances too. Here Team India has benefited in almost getting 2 careers worth of performances from one player alone, and without having to make "compromises" for the 2nd player.

 

[honestbharani]

From an individual point of view, I agree. As there is "little left to prove" in that kind. Tendulkar and Lara both have achieved what a mere mortal can expect to achieve in test cricket.

But the longetivity argument takes strength when you see from the team point of view. See with Tendulkar, he has already played 168 tests and has every chance to play about 180 or even more tests. An ordinary cricketer starting out will consider himself lucky to play even half of that, ie, 90 tests. And a team would be glad if it were to develop such a player who played near about 100 test matches. Remember a team also takes a hit especially in the earlier years of a newbie, where it will tolerate less than brilliant performances too. Here Team India has benefited in almost getting 2 careers worth of performances from one player alone, and without having to make "compromises" for the 2nd player.

It is difficult to put this in perspective but I will try. When Lara retired, he had played MANY more tests than his predecessors had.. The amount of cricket being played is on the rise and I wouldn't put it past another guy to beat Sachin's record pretty soon... So that is why I feel when comparing them, the longevity is not as important as it otherwise would be.

 

[vcs]

We don't know how much Test cricket a human body is physically capable of handling while performing at that level (not to mention the mental toll it takes).. maybe 180-200 Tests might be the physical limit, but then again, 100 Test caps was probably considered Mt. Everest in the '80s and '90s and its pretty common these days so who knows.

 

[honestbharani]

We don't know how much Test cricket a human body is physically capable of handling while performing at that level (not to mention the mental toll it takes).. maybe 180-200 Tests might be the physical limit, but then again, 100 Test caps was probably considered Mt. Everest in the '80s and '90s and its pretty common these days so who knows.

this is what I am saying. And while the number of matches are increasing, so are player fitness levels. Is there not even a tiny amount of credit that is going to be given to modern trainingregimen or is it juz to Tendulkar's credit alone that he has been so fit, like everything else in Sir Alex's world???????

 

[Sir Alex]

this is what I am saying. And while the number of matches are increasing, so are player fitness levels. Is there not even a tiny amount of credit that is going to be given to modern trainingregimen or is it juz to Tendulkar's credit alone that he has been so fit, like everything else in Sir Alex's world???????

So how many players have done more than 150 tests in the last 30 years?

And with increasing T20s etc I don't think 150 test caps are going to be dime and dozen in the future also.

 

[G.I.Joe]

IMO it doesn't really have to do with fitness level differences (or lack of) over the ages. The number of FC games people like Rhodes, Hobbs etc played are staggering. Agreed, it's a step down from Test cricket, but time spent on the field is still energy expended.

 

[Sir Alex]

Travelling etc? Tendulkar has played 93 away matches against 75 home matches.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Yeah, travelling is an issue. But it's still flight vs train/steamship in some cases.

 

[kingpin]

What's the point of this debate....

This kind of threads shud never exist....It always results the same....EGO satisfaction....

 

[Shri]

Well then, show yourself out.

 

[weldone]

Shane Watson fans deserve to get banned for just their choice of idol.

lol

 

[vcs]

IMO it doesn't really have to do with fitness level differences (or lack of) over the ages. The number of FC games people like Rhodes, Hobbs etc played are staggering. Agreed, it's a step down from Test cricket, but time spent on the field is still energy expended.

True, that's a good point.