Steve Smith vs Sachin Tendulkar

[Slifer]

The only thing iffy about Smith is that I feel his technique and style of play has not been sufficiently tested against high quality pace bowling.

I think he will score against Murali and Kumble if he faced them.

But against Ambrose, Donald and Akram? Not so sure. Part of me thinks he would have struggled.

Yes, Smith scored a ton against an off-color Steyn early in his career. But not much else to go on.

Granted, Tendulkar never really dominated any ATG bowler but scored sufficiently well against them and never particularly struggled against them either.

Overall, Smith really overtakes Tendulkar in scoring against low-medium range bowling which Tendulkar never quite dominated to the same extent.

I respectfully disagree. And here's why. He's made runs in England where the abilities of their pace bowlers, particularly Anderson and Broad are magnified. That's good enough for me. His most recent success vs RSA did include runs vs an already great fast bowler in Rabada. So Smith has made runs vs quality pace. No reason to believe that had he played in the 90s, he wouldn't have replicated Sachin ie do ok vs the McGraths, Donald's and Wasims but plunder everyone else.

 

[Slifer]

We are only 5 years in the post 2018 era, whereas Tendulkar averaged 58 for the entire 90s. Let Smith do that for 20-25 more tests this era.

Sachin didn't average 58 for the entire 90s. It gradually worked it's way up to that number. Smith by comparison, has been averaging round about 60 from around 2016 until now. That's nuts.

 

[Godard]

Tendulkar from 1990-99 averaged exactly 58, and for the first 1-2 years, he was only a teenager and not even at his peak, whereas Smith has been a much more seasoned batter 2018 since. Also conditions really started becoming bowler friendly post 2018, not 2016.

 

[Burgey]

That coupled with the fact Tendulkar was heads and shoulders the best batsmen of the 90s, one of the toughest eras to bat,

No he wasn’t.

 

[Godard]

No he wasn’t.

He was the best. It was close with Waugh maybe, but Waugh averaged about 53, and Tendulkar was a much more inexperienced player at the start of the 90s than Waugh.

 

[Godard]

I can also say post 2018, Labu has pretty close to Smith.

 

[Burgey]

He was the best. It was close with Waugh maybe, but Waugh averaged about 53, and Tendulkar was a much more inexperienced player at the start of the 90s than Waugh.

I’m not saying he can’t or shouldn’t be considered the best of that era, but he wasn’t head and shoulders the best.

 

[Coronis]

Tendulkar from 1990-99 averaged exactly 58, and for the first 1-2 years, he was only a teenager and not even at his peak, whereas Smith has been a much more seasoned batter 2018 since. Also conditions really started becoming bowler friendly post 2018, not 2016.

baka read the post again.

 

[Godard]

I’m not saying he can’t or shouldn’t be considered the best of that era, but he wasn’t head and shoulders the best.

Agree with that.

 

[subshakerz]

I respectfully disagree. And here's why. He's made runs in England where the abilities of their pace bowlers, particularly Anderson and Broad are magnified. That's good enough for me. His most recent success vs RSA did include runs vs an already great fast bowler in Rabada. So Smith has made runs vs quality pace. No reason to believe that had he played in the 90s, he wouldn't have replicated Sachin ie do ok vs the McGraths, Donald's and Wasims but plunder everyone else.

Anderson and Rabada to me are a level below those other ATGs. Even against Rabada he was merely ok until the last series when the whole bowling lineup bowled complete crap.

 

[Slifer]

Anderson and Rabada to me are a level below those other ATGs. Even against Rabada he was merely ok until the last series when the whole bowling lineup bowled complete crap.

Yeah all due respect but Rabada is up there as an atg, at least on a similar level to the Waqars and Donald's, if not quite the Wasim level

 

[Burgey]

Yeah he terrific but Fmd he was very poor out here in the tour just gone

 

[subshakerz]

Yeah all due respect but Rabada is up there as an atg, at least on a similar level to the Waqars and Donald's, if not quite the Wasim level

When Rabada was bowling worldclass in 2016 and 2018, Smith didn't score that much nor did he seem that comfortable against him. He only scored this last series when Rabada was bowling absolute rubbish for some reason and not just Smith but the entire lineup cashed in.

Against ATGs like Wasim and Ambrose, they rarely had off days like that during their prime.

One of Smith's best innings for me is the 48* in Hobart on a spicy pitch in 2016 when the entire lineup folded. That was the one occasion I remember him standing ahead of the others in facing quality pace. Otherwise, I haven't seen anything that suggest that he would be better than Tendulkar et al against that level of bowling.

 

[Slifer]

Yeah he terrific but Fmd he was very poor out here in the tour just gone

Agreed but I honestly believe that almost any decent fast bowler would've been taken apart by this Australian lineup at home especially in the form they were in. And fwiw, this poor performance is more than balanced out by the great performance in the prior tour.

Kagiso does need to improve outside of RSA though if he wants to be considered in the upper pantheon of atg pacemen. Averaging 27 or whatever it is, is very good but not were an atg fast bowler should be. Just my opinion fwiw.

 

[Raz0r6ack]

Removing Bangladesh and Zimbabwe Tests and starting Tendulkars career at his 20th year on earth (same age Smith debuted), Tendulkar averaged 60 after 85 Tests. He was consistently averaging 60+ before that. His average then gradually dropped.

Smith averaged 60 after 93 Tests while facing no minnows. Questionable if the Bangladesh Tests qualify as minnows Tests as I think Australia lost one of them.

I think Smith has already done enough.

I don't see how playing longer at a lower level makes your legacy greater. Tendulkar would've still gone still gone down as the 2nd best batsmen of all time (or wherever people rank him) if he retired in 2004.

 

[Slifer]

When Rabada was bowling worldclass in 2016 and 2018, Smith didn't score that much nor did he seem that comfortable against him. He only scored this last series when Rabada was bowling absolute rubbish for some reason and not just Smith but the entire lineup cashed in.

Against ATGs like Wasim and Ambrose, they rarely had off days like that during their prime.

One of Smith's best innings for me is the 48* in Hobart on a spicy pitch in 2016 when the entire lineup folded. That was the one occasion I remember him standing ahead of the others in facing quality pace. Otherwise, I haven't seen anythings that suggest that he would be better than Tendulkar et al against that level of bowling.

But Subs, we've been down this road b4. Sachin didn't dominate any of the great fast bowlers of his time either. His best series vs Donald and WWs was low 40s. His overall average vs McGrath was poor. Smith averaged 42 in that series vs Rabada when he was bowling "world class" and on spicy Oz wickets. If that wasn't successful in your opinion, then Sachin never succeeded vs Donald or the Ws since he never averaged higher in a series vs them.

Sachin had good series vs Ambrose in 97 and vs Steyn. But Smith has had good series as well vs Steyn. And he also had good series vs Anderson/Broad in England which imo, is good enough of a challenge vs pace.

 

[subshakerz]

But Subs, we've been down this road b4. Sachin didn't dominate any of the great fast bowlers of his time either. His best series vs Donald and WWs was low 40s. His overall average vs McGrath was poor.

Sachin had good series vs Ambrose in 97 and vs Steyn. But Smith has had good series as well vs Steyn. And he also had good series vs Anderson/Broad in England which imo, is good enough of a challenge vs pace.

Yes true, I said Tendulkar didn't really dominate the ATG pacers of his time, just that he didn't struggle against them either.

TBF, I don't hold not facing enough top quality pacers against Smith in ranking him ahead of Tendulkar once his career is long enough, it is more of a 'what if' for me. I just think if there was a bowler who could crack the code of Smith's leg stump exposure, it would be Wasim.

 

[Slifer]

Yes true, I said Tendulkar didn't really dominate the ATG pacers of his time, just that he didn't struggle against them either.

TBF, I don't hold not facing enough top quality pacers against Smith in ranking him ahead of Tendulkar once his career is long enough, it is more of a 'what if' for me. I just think if there was a bowler who could crack the code of Smith's leg stump exposure, it would be Wasim.

Possibly. But it makes sense to wait and see how Smith's career ends.

 

[CodeOfWisden]

For me this is basically a no contest.

Smith is way ahead of Sachin in terms of not just statistics but also impact.

Sachin never had dominating series like Smith did, multiple 500+ runs series.

Sachin, Lara Ponting were more or less playing at the same level, there's nothing unique about Sachin.

On the other hand Smith is unparalleled.

 

[Burgey]

I dunno, playing 200 tests at that level is a pretty fair effort imo