Lara arguably, though not IMO. Ponting nowhere near either of the 2. I'd take Kallis over Ponting too.
Kallis over Ponting?
He isn't 40 runs per innings better than Tendulkar even if people say he's better than Tendulkar.
In no footage of Bradman and Tendulkar is there a difference akin to that of the same between Tendulkar and a No.9.
Tendulkar has near perfect tehcnique including footwork 99% as good as the Don. His range of shots were as good, though in terms of innovation for his time, Bradman is way ahead (that's not to say he would always be an innovator. It doesn't work like that. Normally 1 batsmen sets the trend for a folowing generation and they continue it).
He actually is 40 runs better then Tendulkar. He is twice as good as any other batsman that's ever played the game. Actually, his 45 runs better then Tendulkar.
None of Tendulkar's attributes are better then Bradman and the majority of his attributes aren't even close to Bradman. Tendulkar is no god and what he has acchieved pales in comparison to anything as what Bradman has done. Tendulkar wouldn't have been more successful then the Don in any era and Bradman would've outaveraged him by a mile.
Bradman scored at a rapid pace and still managed to average 99.94. No one past or present has been able to acchieve and Bradman's career spanned 20 years.
Nope, he wouldn't have destroyed Trueman and Statham since both were better than Larwood (definitely more consitent) and Larwood wasn't completely owned by Don.
And he certainly wouldn't have "destroyed" Wasim/Waqar, Ambrose/Walsh, the fearsome foursome mk I and II, the Indian spin quartet, Imran, Hadlee, Donald/Pollock etc. He may very well have destroyed the lesser bowlers but great bowlers give great batsmen problems. And Bradman wasn't God in human form (as much as you'd like to think he was).
Also, Tendulkar never got "owned" by all the great seamers, it was just a great era for seam. They pretty much gave everyone problems. That's the downside of being a revisionist.
Averaging all but 100 in Test Cricket is almost god-like, considering that no one has ever come close. And all of those would've been destroyed by Bradman, seeing as Bradman overcome the most bowler-friendly tactic in cricketing history and still managed to average 56 whilst if put in the same position, without a helmet, Tendulkar would've averaged low 20's.
Gretzsky, Ruth, Pele, Chamberlain and Woods were/are all considerably better than their contemporaries actually.
The fact those sports have had more level playing fields in terms of talent is more to do with the lack of a single standout statistical leader.
You do realise that the competition today would've been similar to those in past generations? It wouldn't be as if, one cricketer tried and the rest were playing for the hell of it. The standard was equal, so it was equally as hard to standout from the rest then it is today, which makes Bradman's acchievements remarkable.
You don't know India at all man.
India (cricket) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> USA >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Rest of the World.
Burning effigies and mad crowds pale in comparison to the riggers of war and The Great Depression. You're talking out of your ass, the War and Great Depression ruined lives.
No Indian batsman has had the amount of pressure placed upon him as Tendulkar has. Have you purposely had your eyes shut for all your cricket watching life?
What does Ponting playing against a bowling machine have to do with him against real life bowlers?
Sure it gets you used to line, length and speed but not the subtleties a bowler has.
Well, if you hadn't noticed, Ponting averages 56 in Test Cricket.
It was in 1990 actually where he scored 119* @ Old Trafford as a 17 year old. Pretty young to carry the future of your team.
How come Tendulkar's own team mate, Rahul Dravid has been able to outaverage Tendulkar, during the same era that Tendulkar played in? And that's his own team mate. Ponting, Lara, Kallis, Hayden, Dravid, Sangakkara, etc, have all had a higher average then Tendulkar at some point and that's after they've played 50 Tests minimum.
I was aware, and I somewhat doubt they were going all out against a legend of the game and a man in his 60's. Could you imagine English bowlers going all-out against Boycott or even Gower?
It's called respect, they can take being smashed in a net session over injuring a legend and looking like a ****.
Bradman in his peak would not smash Brett Lee's fastest and most accurate deliveries. That's just common sense. You need a great eye to smash an express paceman and Bradman had poor eyesight. I don't think anyone would or could "smash" a guy bowling high 90's on a decent bowling wicket. That's nothing to do with talent, but human limitations. It's like expecting Woods to make a chip with an insane and inpredictable wind or Federer to hit a volley when it hits the net straight infront of him.
That bolded piece, has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
Bradman had the best eye, concentration, hand & eye coordination and determination by a country mile in the history of the game. If players that average almost a 3rd of what Bradman did, can play shots off him then Bradman would have a field day. They obviously were bowling allout, because they suggested that Bradman should be playing in the next Test and don't make me laugh, Gower and Boycott are no Bradmans.
You haven't said Tendulkar is outright better than Ponting (even though he obviously is). Everytime you sort of admit it, you follow it up with something akin to the first quote in this post.
Tendulkar is a better batsman then Ponting, but only by the slighest margain.
Na. Sachin still (at 36) hits it better than everyone else but in terms of striking there are many batsmen better than Ponting- Pietersen & Sehwag being way above in that respect and many others- even Ian Bell who on form strike the ball more cleaner than "Punter2 could wish to do.
Nope, wrong, wrong and wrong. I won't bother repeating myself, as I've probably said it in previous posts.
No, I think they're worse which is why Ponting's 20 against them is shoddy in comparison to Tendulkar's 39 against SA.
Kumble is an all-time great but that's it.
As I said earlier, when you are comparing 2 great batsman, the easier the conditions is irrelevant, as they should be compared on how well they do in the more difficult conditions.
Because England, India, Australia and West Indies are benchmark tours. Nowadays people talk about South Africa but they are a "new" team so to speak.
Also, England never had "great" attacks against Bradman. There were generally 1 very good bowler, 1 good and a few crap. He never cashed in on Larwood in 32/33, but the other bowlers.
The "Benchmark" Tours. It's got nothing to do with the past, if the team of the present is completely rubbish, much like the modern day West Indies are.
You do realise that
Bradman made a triple-century against Larwood. The attack featured Harold Larwood (78 wickets @ 28.35) Maurice Tate (155 wickets @ 26.16) and George Geary (46 wickets @ 29.41) - 3 bowlers that averaged under 30 with the ball. Tendulkar hasn't even made a triple century in his career, let alone against 3 bowlers averaging under 30 in Test Cricket.
Or how about Bradman's other triple-century? Featured Bill Bowes (68 wickets @ 22.33) and Hedley Verity (144 wickets @ 24.37).
I could go on all day about how many great innings the Don played that Tendulkar could only dream of playing...