Manjrekar, Lavakare and others

Sachin versus Bradman:
raj: xx@x.com: Are asshole Why was sachin invited for Bradman's B'day not screwing gavaskar anybody, know the class of cricket that sachin plays and then write a ...ing article No Regards xxx



Sachin versus Bradman:
Jagadeesh: jagadeeshn@yahoo.com: Arvind, I dont agree with ur idea of statistics to prove who is the best player among them. I think u cannot compare the three batsmen. First Bradman I think did not play in high pressure cricket. I mean pressure from the crowd not from the opposition team. There is more expectations from the crowd as well as the other team members from Tendulkar. Next thing is the way the game is played has changed from what is was during Bradman's and Gavaskar's time. Now a days test are played more like one day games. Batsmen try to score runs faster. Also I dont consider fast bowling should be the only kind of bowling on whose basis the batsmen is judged. Also the number of games played by the players now are much more than what it used to be. Also during Bradmans time there was only one kind of game - Test Cricket but now u have One-day cricket too. Maybe the present day players will play differently if there is only test cricket and also the other way round. That is why I totally disagree with u on this issue as all three played in different eras and different styles of cricket. Happy Birthday Sachin. Jagadeesh



Sachin versus Bradman:
Sudarshan Reddy: Sudarshan_reddy@hotmail.com: "Continue to Enthrall Millions with your ardeous Tasks" Happy BirthDay Sachin..



Sachin versus Bradman:
Raghu: angadi@erc.msstate.edu: There are lots and lots of things you look at when judging a batsman. and the mere statistics is one of the last. Anyway, agreed.. Bradman is greater. But saying Sunil Gavaskar is greater is a bit rediculous. The author picked some perticular instance where Tendulkar got out early when India needed. This should not come into picture sinse the author does not mention similar failures of the other batsmen. I dont know of single ODI where Sunil Gavaskar single handedly took India to victory. Yes, agreed he has more "staying" power than Sachin. But that does not make him greater just with that. Tendulkar performance in in ODIs had improved (staistics wise) a lot after his first 100 ODI. It is too immature to pick a few instance where Sachin failed to say that he is inferior. Why doesn't author consider Sachin's later 100 matches for comparision. The conclusions in the articles are too extreme.



Sachin versus Bradman:
guhan: : YOu should be looking at the matches which Tendulkar has single handedly won for India. I may be wrong here.. my gut feeling says he has won more one-day games for India than Gavaskar.



Sachin versus Bradman:
kedar kshirsagar: kedar53@hotmail.com: I agree with what has been written by you. Then at the same time cricket as a game has changed from the time of Bradman and Gavaskar. There is no doubt that these guys were extra ordinary players. Sachin is a diamond in todays cricket world and I am sure he will make India proud this summer in England. My bet wishes to him, India and also a very happy birthday wish for the second little master of the country.



Sachin versus Bradman:
mohan P: mpjaya@aol.com: This article will puncture the bubble and leave a void of vacuum. But the author has consistently shown that our beliefs are nothing but real. Everyone agrees that Tendulkar is one of the greatest , but there is still a lot lacking in him. We should also consider the fact that the players of old times never had so much media hype or external pressure to influence their performance on the ground. so given the parameters of 'public following' , 'popularity of the sport' and competetive nature of the compressed version of the game , Tendulkar stands tall among his peers.



The Dean Jones column:
Chandra Kakaraparti: chandraks@yahoo.com: Great Article. I loved each bit of Jones wrote. Let us see What Simpson will do for Indian Team..? Results only will tell, Thanks, Chandra.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Kamal Gupta: guptakk@muss.cis.mcmaster.ca: A very harsh, but to a great extent very true and insightful column. And yes, I agree that as of today, if one has to rank Gavaskar, Bradman and Tendulkar, then Tendulkar is definitely no.3. But one thing that I don't agree with is the comparison with today's players. Among the currently active international players, Sachin Tendulkar is the best batsman.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Ganesh: krsg@yahoo.com: I'm sorry to say but who is this author ? has anybody herad about him ? I dont understand why Rediff who has so far called known popular/sensible people have asked the opinion of unheard of people. Now it is not we the people,the common man who have called Sachin as the greatest or no.1 , it's the great players of the past like gavaskar,Steve Waugh and gary sobers who have acclaimed him as the best. So why waste time taking statistics to prove that India can win withou sachin. One in 10 matches , the others can win but 4 out of 10 matches sachin has won for India and that's about it.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Ganesh: ganesh@mailcity.com: Sachin himself has said that he shouldnt be compared to tendulkar. Then why is that we still do this comparison ? That too on his birthday ?



Sachin versus Bradman:
Manmit Madan: manmit_madan@dpa.act.gov.au: Absolutely true, Arvind! However at this time we must make not only Tendulkar, but every Indian batter believe that he is Bradman personified. All they need is the belief and the confidence!



Sachin versus Bradman:
Chandra Kakaraparti: Chandraks@yahoo.com: I don't agree with Arvind. One should see the quality of Bowlers Tendulkar faced and the pressure when compared to Sunil Gavaskar or Bradman. One cannot simply go by statistics alone between Gavaskar and Tendulakar. Tendulkar got more range of shots than Gavaskar and better timing and power. Tendular is a much better stroke player than Gavaskar. Thanks, Chandra.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Sajith: sajithg@aol.com: WHY DON'T YOU PLEASE WRITE THE MATCHES HE HAS WON FOR INDIA RATHER THAN THE ONE INDIA LOST??? UNDERSTAND THE GOOD IN HIM!!!!! YOU ARE HAVING THE TYPICAL INDIAN MENTALITY OF FORGETING THE GOOD HE HAS DONE BY WRITING ABOUT THE NON PERFORMANCE... SACHIN IS NOT GOD TO BE PERFECT ALWAYS.. SO PLEASE SPEND YOUR ENERGY WRITING ABOUT THE GOOD.....



Sachin versus Bradman:
Sajith: sajithg@aol.com: WHY DON'T YOU PLEASE WRITE THE MATCHES HE HAS WON FOR INDIA RATHER THAN THE ONE INDIA LOST??? UNDERSTAND THE GOOD IN HIM!!!!! YOU ARE HAVING THE TYPICAL INDIAN MENTALITY OF FORGETING THE GOOD HE HAS DONE BY WRITING ABOUT THE NON PERFORMANCE... SACHIN IS NOT GOD TO BE PERFECT ALWAYS.. SO PLEASE SPEND YOUR ENERGY WRITING ABOUT THE GOOD.....HE HAS ACHIEVED FOR THE COUNTRY!!!!!



Sachin versus Bradman:
Omkar Sankar: osankar@hotmail.com: Just something to ponder about .... Is statistics the absolute benchmark for deciding the best?? What about the manner in which Tendulkar dominates the bowlers everytime he bats, sends shivers down the spine of every bowler that bowls to him, or the supreme confidence (bordering on arrogance) that he demonstrates when he bats?? What about the way he sets the pulse of millions (not only in India, but around the world) racing, everytime he walks out all padded up and ready to take the bowler on? What about the way in which he treated Warne, when every other batsman (Lara included) was struggling to read the master-leggie? If statistics were the only benchmark, why is Becker considered the King at Wimbledon, when there is Borg who won five straight titles? Or why Viv Richards, when there is George Headley and probably others with better statistics than him? True greatness in sport lies not in only performances and statistics, but also in the way these performances were achieved. Anyway, Happy B'day, Sachin and I do hope you get the World Cup to India. Omkar



Sachin versus Bradman:
Rajeeb K Dutta: rajeeb_dutta@hotmail.com: No, it is now Sachin's turn to take the challange and show the world that he is really great. I too admit that, the media a publicity played a significant part to frame him greatest which Gavasker and Don was lacking. Sachin is no where near Don or Gavasker. They are greatest. Sachin cannot be compared with even Lara, who can play a 501 run innings. In 7-8 years long career Sachin has not hit a double century. So he is not really great but can be considered as a good player.



Sachin versus Bradman:
karthik: karthik_o@hotmail.com: Nice article!! Nowadays there is too much hype on everything! Look they compared Laxmi Shukla to Kapil even without playing a single match. Calling Sachin as the greatest is not good for Sachin! If all peaks are scaled at 26 itself where will he have th motivation to do better? Well done, Arvind



Sachin versus Bradman:
Himanshu Thakur: hthakur99@hotmail.com: I think Arvind was a tad harsh on Sachin. I mean, this piece on his birthday! I would hate to see him critisizing him in anger. I think I want to point out some things too. For one thing, comparing Sachin and Sunil's one day performances in the same no. of ODIs isn't fair. I mean, Sachin did start off at 17 or something. And that knock against Pak that he played at Chennai was the only thing that kept us in the match in the first place and any decent side should've finished it off even if he had been dismissed. Only 17 odd runs were needed. And he got out because of severe back pain which was causing him difficulty in playing shots and that is the reason he wanted to finish it off early. Still, Tendulkar later felt that he should've finished it. That is what the man stands for. The double century, well he is yet to turn 26. I feel he will score one in this year itself. And once he does, maybe he may break Gavaskar's record. Okay, so Bradman is the best ever, but do we have to rub Tendulkar's achievements in the dust because he's our best. Not even Gavaskar's upto scratch compared to Bradman. Mr. Arvind should remember that. Gavaskar and Tendulkar are heroes for different eras for Indians and it's as simple as that. No need to compare either of them. No need to downplay either's achievements. Sachin has a lot to do still and he will and in the end he will achieve the same standing as Gavaskar did when he retired, if not more. Everyone knows he will get the most Test runs in the end. So right now would not be fair to compare the two greats. And that's where I think Arvind's wrong. Oh, and about the ODI averages. Kirsten compared to Sachin is not as great and even a South African will probably agree to that. His ODI average is steadily decreasing. Anwar's average now is 40.50 now. And Lara's average too is decreasing while Tendulkar's has been on the upswing. I suggest you wait till the end of the year and compare them again. Now that would be interesting.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Hansal Mehta: hansal_mehta@hotmail.com: Hogwash ! Rubbish ! Mr. Lavkare (or whatever) this article reeks of bitterness. Bitterness towards a new age that you have been unable to keep up with. Period. If James Hadley Chase or Joan Collins is more widely read than say Rushdie or Roy or Seth or anybody for that matter then is it any measure of the quality of writing ? Please Mr. Old foggy Lavkare, please retire. Please make a bhel-puri out of all the figures that you have quoted and eat it up. Maybe it will cure your intellectual indigestion and will stop your numerological diarrhoea. How can you quote staistics to measure the quality of a batsman. Be fair to Tendulkar. Name the instances when he has won matches for India. Quote the matches he has saved for India. Talk about his repertoire of strokes, his eye, his impeccable timing, his elegance. And do not compare him to anybody else. He occupies a unique position in our hearts and in the annals of cricket history - irrespective of the statistics. On second thoughts I think Arvind Lavkare (or whatever...) is a better batsman than Tendulkar ! Howzzat ?



Sachin versus Bradman:
Mukundan: mukundan_ramani@hotmail.com: This is one of the worst articles one could have written about Tendulkar and totally one-sided. When you compare Tendulkar with Gavaskar, compare both their test and one-day performance. Tell me how many match winning performances does Gavaskar have? And what was his one day average? Now coming to Lara, what happened to him when West Indies lost to South Africa 5-0? Atleast Tendulkar made sure India didn't lose by such a pathetic margin to any country... Bradman.... look at all his high scoring performances.... and the no. of matches they played in a year during that time. All his great performances were mostly against one team... England. If India keeps on playing against Pakistan, even we'll come out very successful. Thats not a big deal. Ask Bradman to play tests in tough weather conditions in India, pakistan and Sharjah. I bet he'd have dropped out of the team. So what if Tendulkar is wearing protective gears... its actually even more difficult for him to concentrate and run with all the weight. Tell me how many times he has been hit by a ball on his head/helmet... almost zero. This shows what a classy batsman he is. About his "irresponsible shot" during the Chennai test... what if the same ball had been dispatched for a 4 or a 6. Would your have even mentioned about it now?? No way... Also did you even think about the pain and agony he was in during the match... Your argument finally boils down to the fact that whenever India loses, its because Tendulkar didnt score. What was the rest of the team doing then?? Count the number of victories for India when Tendulkar scored below 20 and the no. of matches we've won when he scored above 50. I find your argument as totally baseless.



Sachin versus Bradman:
SUDIP: : This is the most stupidiest remark I have ever heard from anyone. Who the hell is this guy anyway? I don't understand what his trying to prove by analyizing just those innings in which he failed. You Idiot!! If you just look at the innings he played when he played at the pressure situations, you will change your oppinion. SO SHUT THE HELL UP!!!!!!!!!



Sachin versus Bradman:
Sriram Vedula: svedula@vt.edu: At last a sane and an unemotional look at one of India's best batsman. Too much has been made out of Tendulkar when, I am sure, in doing so we have not been fair either to Tendulkar or to Gavaskar and Bradman.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Guru: Gururaj.K.Parvathi@tek.com: This seems to be too critical. But the fact is Sachin is a big entertainer and without him the Indian team looses its confidence. May be there are few instances when they might have done well but Sachin has won more matches for India than anyone else. Wishing Sachin and Indian Team all the best. Sachin you have a great year ahead.



Sachin versus Bradman:
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Sachin versus Bradman:
Mehul Shah.: mehulks@hotmail.com: Every batsman has his own style and he learns at his own pace. There is no doubt that Gavaskar and Bradman are legends, Tendulkar is no less, although he is learning and will come up. He is by now the best player in the world!!! MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY!!!!! Luv, Mehul.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Mehul Shah: mehulkshah@hotmail.com: All shit! Agreed that Bradman is the greatest. But Gavaskar certainly not greater than Tendlya. If he had scored more centuries in Test matches when he had played equal no of innings as Tendulkar played today, how many matches did India win out of those matches. Tendulkar's centuries have always had more value to Indian team than Gavaskar's did. And I felt that the article was worhtless the moment I read that Tendulkar was compared with Lara, Kirsten, Waugh and Anwar based only on their averages. Still I read through only because it talked about cricket (and Tendulkar) which is may (and any Indian's) love and passion. -Mehul



Sachin versus Bradman:
VK Iyer: NA:



Sachin versus Bradman:
karthik: kalyanar@cis.ohio-state.edu: wish sachin proves the baised idiot who wrote this colum wrong!!!i am sure he will



Sachin versus Bradman:
VK Iyer: : you are a moron, sir, not fit to be a journalist. if you were any man, you would realize Mr. Sachin is a champion. He is much better than Sunil Gavaskar. He plays for India, while Sunny played for himself. His presence changes the game, even if he goes duck for the whole series. He is a fighter and a motivator, much more than you can say of Mohd. Azhar. Don't look at stats when you look at a champion, look at his heart.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Pon Umapathy: umapathypon@rediffmail.com: Arvind Lavkare is a person with a hell lot of misconceptions.He seems to palce Lara above Sachin just because he has got a better average in onedayers..But let him show me a Lara knock in difficult conditions for batsmen.Most of his test hundreds have come in tests where atleast 3 other batsmen have scored 100s. And dont tell me about the recent 156* .Of course it was a knock under pressure but surely not on a difficult pitch(May it was a little slow and Lara can play good fast bowling only on slow tracks) Now to the comparison between Gavaskar's oneday avg. and SRT's at a particular stage of their careers...If Sachin does'nt have the burden of having to score runs everytime and score at a fast rate ,He would also have had a much better avg.Also the pressure involved in onedayers during that period was much much lower. So,Please Mr.Arvind we have got brains and we can form our own correct perceptions (not influenced by the media hype..) Happy Birthday Sachin,there is saying in tamil : Even if the dogs bark at the SUN ,it's greatness or intensity does'nt reduce..



Sachin versus Bradman:
Ranganath Vanaparthy: ranga@cs.unr.edu: Hey Sachin, Happy Birthday to you. "Kasam Hindustan ki worldcup jeet ke laana yaar". - Ranganath ( Nevada, USA).



Sachin versus Bradman:
Murthy: a-naramu@microsoft.com: Happy Birthday Sachin. Best of luck in World Cup. Try your level best for india team. I know you will do. Cheers Murthy



Sachin versus Bradman:
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Sachin versus Bradman:
Sachin Akram: sachin_akram@hotmail.com: After reading your column there is little doubt in my mind that your education has come in contact with STATISTICS some way or the other. Ummm.. let me make a guess probably you are M. Sc in Statistics. Okay jokes away, let us be a little serious. Your brithday cake to Sachin was great. But you are not aware that we follow the tradition of giving SWEET cakes. Anyway let me add some SUGAR and ICING on your cake. I will start by your first comparison of Sachin with Lara and Kirstein. Your comparisons are fabulous but your theoritical knowledge of statistics is clean bowled by some practical experience which I guess you lack. Kirstein has always opened his innings for SA and Lara has never come to bat below number 3. If you take the innings where Sachin batted at number 1 in one day internationals his average is above 46.00 and then you have those 22 strawberries (I mean centuries). You are right to say that Tendulkar is not a one man team. Our other guys are good too. You have listed a number of innings where India won without any contribution from Sachin. But where are the innings where India one because of a contribution from Sachin. There are twice as many. Also can you list innings where India succeeded without Sachin playing at all. Look back at what happenned against a full armoured attack of Akram in these one day matches. Our players feed on Sachin and there is a boost in confidence on his presence. A fact what made Richards really great in his fading years. The oppenents are wary and your team mates are calm and cool when Sachin plays. Mind you he has achieved this capability in the early 20s. And then comes the comparison with Mankad. Why are you adamant on comparing innings that were scored once in a blue moon with some more consistent batting. Mankad must be great. But so is Sachin. Why cant you describe the innings at Perth when he scored 114 against the pace battery of Mcdermott and Hughes when he was just 19. Why couldnt you recollect the match saving innings of 119 against England when he was 17. Why cant you say that he stood against Waqar, Imran and Akram to score a match saving 60 when he was just 16. I think the most foolish comparison is with Gavaskar's one day record. Gavaskar has always opened the innings for India. And as I have already stated Sachin as an opener has a better average than any top player right now (barring the middle order Bevan). And why dont you add to your statistics the strike rate of a batsman in one days. What was Gavaskar's strike rate and what is Sachin's. For that matter if you compare the average and the strike rate Sachin will again emerge in the top two (probably after Bevan). I hate to compare Gavaskar's or Bradman's statistics with that of Sachins. They played in the era of TEST ONLY days. These days guys are more infuenced by one days just for the matter of fact that they play them quite often. When you down Sachin to Gavaskar, could you please tell me how many matches did Gavaskar try to win for India as compared to Sachin. It was that staying power that did help India but has also transformed it into a band of people that lack killer instinct. Then when India lose to Pakistan you say that these guys lack killer instinct. It is here that Sachin makes a difference. Everyone knows that Bradman is great. But dont say that Sachin isnt. If Sachin isnt Bradman then Bradman couldnt have been Sachin either. Bradmans test carrer spanned bowlers whose balls did not come waist high. He did not wear a protective gear because he did not need it. Nowadays bowlers are implicitly allowed to bowl body lines and so gear is a necessity. When Bodyline came Bradman looked quite human and then he becomes no different than our own great Gavaskar. 20 of Bradmans centuries have come against England in 62 innings. So most of his life he played England. This is in no way different than Gavaskar's 13 centuries against WI in 48 innings WITHOUT A PROTECTIVE GEAR and in some of the worst BODYLINED attacks ever. Also Bradman averaged 56 in the bodyline series. So does your statistics say that Bradman couldnt have been different than those of todays batsmen had Bodyline continued for ever. So I would say dont compare Bradman to anyone in the post World war II era. He played when cricket was a gentleman's game. No one can say for sure that he would have succeeded in a more rude form of cricket that is played now. Sachin or for that matter none of todays batsmen can achieve the feat that Bradman and Gavaskar achieved because for the simple reason that they played in different eras and in different phases of the maturity of world cricket. Compared with todays batsmen he is no doubt that Sachin is the most consistent batsmen in both forms of cricket. But alas finally there has to be some theoritical base to perform comparisons where people like you come in handy. But I am sure that cricket does not drive you crazy. You seem to be a fresh STATISTICS graduate who wants to tell the world that he can come with some figures. But you have to have your heart into the game to praise Sachin. And finally what do you gain by saying that Sachin is the most inferior player to past legends and contemporaries. A monthly salary and an abuse of thousands. I dont have problems with that.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Mallik: mallikarjunam@yahoo.com: Fantastic, really good article. I really enjoyed it.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Balaji Venkat: Balajivno1@yahoo.com: I guess Arvind has hit the nail on it's head in this excellent article. It's time Sachin pulls up his Socks and does something for the country rather then just drinking Pepsi!!!!!!



Sachin versus Bradman:
Saeed Ahmed: sayeedahmed@hotmail.com: Tendul, I feel sorry for India to be relying on a little figure to bear the weight of World Cup who can't even bear his own weight.



The Sanjay Manjrekar column:
tushar: tushar@hotmail.com: I really don't understand what Sanjay is trying to convey. That most of the Pakistani cricketers are uncultured and barbarians whose only aim is to succeed at every cost on the cricket field? I wonder what Imran and Asif Iqbal would be thinking. Lets admit that Pakistanis play with a lot of heart and self-belief when pitted against India. Wish they could play with the same vigor against other teams. They always had the luxury of a very potent, menacing bowling attack and to win Test matches you need to bowl the opposition out twice. And that's where India's problem lies. Of course we have fielding problems. But so do the Pakistanis. What sets them apart is that they are capable of taking 30 wickets…and that's what they usually end up doing when they win Test matches. India's problems in cricket lie in self-confidence and self-belief. I don't know whether gully cricket players have this or not. I sure do know that Pakistani players have it when they are currently playing against India. And that tilts the odds in favor of them. Talent-wise I think India has a better batting line-up while Pakistan probably has the best varied bowling attack in the world.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Geethakrishnan : narasg@rediffmail.com: YOur article is very true, more so because you have punctuated them statistics and accurate figures. I fully agree with your analysis which you have drawn taking care of important details. It would be good if Tendulkar realises what is expected of him and rises to the occasion at England. If you really look at the Indian Team's chances, I would say " gloomy" going by their home away series record.



Sachin versus Bradman:
SHITAL MEHTA: shit alm@hotmail.com: Well, The real thing is Sachin is not playing the GREATEST GAME, he is doing his best to serve Indian cricket team. Forget bear figures situation is also important and there is no ground for comparision of Sachin and Bradman in whose time I doubt about the skills and competitiveness. Two countries playing Test. I don't see a single reason for their figures comparision.



Sachin versus Bradman:
: : go to hell jump in the well



Sachin versus Bradman:
kk: reefriend@hotmail.com: Hello sir, Now Tendulkar is playing in a position where more runs are needed. So when he goes for big shots he naturally becomes out,. and most important point to be noted is, Gavaskar was opener where as tendulkar was not. That makes all the difference.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Sumeet Gupta: sugupta@ecel.ufl.edu: Dear Mr. Lavakare I must admit that your knowledge and perception of the game is really one of a kind. I have read all types of articles written by different critics , but i must admit that i have till date not come across an article like yours. The closest who could come to you was probably Prem Panicker.I guess it's something to do with rediff staff.The way you highlighted the instances when India won the match on the occasions when Sachin didn't perform was really astonishing. How about taking into account the matches when the team bundled out when tendulkar used to get out early. Your 'comparison' of his averages with Gavaskar is really the way everyboby should go ahead 'comparing' players of past and present. How about sending your formule to Wisden Cricket. I guess that with your method S.Ramesh is a better batsman in tests than both Gavaskar and Bradman. This fact obviously 'proves' that your formula works just fine! How about recalling matches in which gavaskar let India down. I can think of more than 50 occasions out of his 102 outings in the one-day game. Out of curiosity, what was it like seeing Bradman and Mankad playing! !!I guess you must be the oldest critic alive. Keep up the good 'work' , which i am sure Panicker would be proud of.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Rajesh: rchilambi@hotmail.com: Who's this sucker commenting about the only hope for India in the World cup



Sachin versus Bradman:
Kedar Deo: ksdeo@hotmail.com: Good Statistics... but none can beat the grace and style of tendulkar.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Sunil: pillappa@hotmail.com: I don't agree with the author's view completely. His analysis seems to be baised and inapproprite. I do agree, Tendulkar has a long way to go before he reaches the status of a Bradman or even a Gavaskar. Tendulkar evokes such admiration because of the way he plays, when he play. Comparing with mear statistics doesn't really prove a point. Statistics always depends on the population of data taken. For example, Sachin started opening for India only after 70 or so matches. Taking of those 70 matches, his average would go higher than that. Also comparison with Gavaskar, Gavaskar was an outstanding opener, but Sachin can bowl and bat pretty well and that is why he is appreciated so much. You shouldn't just base a person temperment on Statistics. Sunil



Sachin versus Bradman:
Sudarsan Kannan: ksudarsh@hotmail.com: Hi, I don't think that it is good in comparing the talents between players who played the game in various times..nobody can deny the fact that bradman and gavaskar are all time greats.. but cricket has become more competitive now. It is not merely batting out in the middle without scoring.. people want result.. the average viewership of the game has increased and people want an entertaining match rather than only a single person scoring 400 odd runs and the match ending in a draw... U can feel this from the number of double centuries.. have decreased these days.. people need action.. even in the cococola cup finals recently at sharjah.. people were worried at the lack lustre display of the indians.. not because they lost but because of the lack of inspiration.. and can't deny the fact that tendulkar is one of the best cricketer the world has ever encountered. Regards, Sudarsan



Sachin versus Bradman:
Dheeraj Pandey: Dheeraj.Pandey@Trilogy.Com: Bullshit article... Cricket has certainly gotten tougher with time. Its a crazy piece of shit... All these great men are in a class of their own... can't compare apples and oranges. Completely disagree with even bringing them all under one roof. At times, the article sounds disgustingly out-of-place... and at times, its ludicrous to see Arvind taking statistical comparisons to a point of ennui. My point of view-- completely overdone.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Manjunath Shanabag: manju_s@hotmail.com: It is true, What you have said is absolutely true. But, WHERE IS THE STRIKE RATE, AGE, BOWLING FIGURES, NUMBER OF MATCHES WON SINGLE HANDEDLY, FIELDING STANDARDS ETC. SAVHIN IS SACHIN. HE IS GREATEST AMONG THE CONTEMPORARY AND THAT SHOULD BE THE END OF DISCUSSION.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Sudharsan G: gsudu@hotmail.com: I think this column should make Sachin take stock of his importance to the Indian team and play a more responsible role in ensuring India's victory in the World Cup. Happy birthday wishes to him.



Sachin versus Bradman:
pradeep palaksha: pradeep_p@hotmail.com: well ,i think this article sucks.when u want to prove a point u can go to radiculous extents and thats precisely what the author has done here. there is no doubt that don bradman was a better player than sachin tendulkar,but saying gavaskar was a better player than sachin has to be a joke. ok, gavaskar may have a better one day avg. than sachin but what is his strike rate?that is the most important aspect of a one day player.gavaskar,if my memory serves me right has the record for the slowest century in one day cricket. how many times has gavaskar turned the state of the match single handed?lets face it gavaskar wasnt a one day player he may have had the staying power but that is not what is required for one days .gavaskar has never dominated or intimidated a batsman.the very fact that the author has said that vinno mankad performed better than sachin....proves his credibility.consistancy and playing for the team is the key and gavaskar or mankad never possesed the last quality at least. my final suggestion to u rediff is ,please dont put articles on cricket just because u have to,let them make sense and this one certainly doesnt .this only makes me laugh at the authors stupidity.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Suhas Subramanya: suhasraja@hotmail.com: Dear Sachin, "Many Happy Returns of the Day" May God Bestow you with all the success in your glorious future" Win the World Cup Suhas



Sachin versus Bradman:
pradeep palaksha: pradeep_p@hotmail.com: well ,i think this article sucks.when u want to prove a point u can go to radiculous extents and thats precisely what the author has done here. there is no doubt that don bradman was a better player than sachin tendulkar,but saying gavaskar was a better player than sachin has to be a joke. ok, gavaskar may have a better one day avg. than sachin but what is his strike rate?that is the most important aspect of a one day player.gavaskar,if my memory serves me right has the record for the slowest century in one day cricket. how many times has gavaskar turned the state of the match single handed?lets face it gavaskar wasnt a one day player he may have had the staying power but that is not what is required for one days .gavaskar has never dominated or intimidated a bowler.the very fact that the author has said that vinno mankad performed better than sachin....proves his credibility.consistancy and playing for the team is the key and gavaskar or mankad never possesed the last quality at least. my final suggestion to u rediff is ,please dont put articles on cricket just because u have to,let them make sense and this one certainly doesnt .this only makes me laugh at the authors stupidity.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Rohit Borker: rohitb@rocketmail.com: I am sure i do not know much about cricket as arvind lavakare might be knowing. However, his comparison of Sachin Tendulkar to Gavaskar, Lara and stuff doesn't seem to account for many things. I am not a great fan of sachin, but man, do I have respect for that guy or what. Batsman shouldn't be rated just on basis of thier averages and stuff. Cricket is a team game. So in majority of matches its not an individual but the whole team that steers a contry to victory. In sachins case he is an inspiration to other players whcih encourages others to play hard. I see this verbose reply is heading nowhere, so let me cut the chase and give some points which might explain as to why sachin's greatness cannot be based on just averages. 1. Players playing for other nations that arvind mentioned for instance lara, kirsten, and waugh do not play under the type of pressure that sachin has to play under 2. As far as as gavaskar is concerned, he too did not have to play under such pressures such as today's cricket demands 3. Though tendulkar doesn't play well everytime he goes in there, his agreesive and stylish batiing inspires confidence and courage in otherwise meek indian batsmen. 4. as i have said before, i don't know a lot about cricket but enough to notice this particulary interesting trend. Whenever the initial one or two batsmen hit a bowler, however good he is, then all our other batsemn show no fear of the bowler and start hitting him all over the fence. Alternatively, if the same bowler even takes one good wicket, then suddenly he becomes unplayable. Its all in the minds and thats what I mean. Sachin is one of the very few batsmen we have that has ability to overcome that mental block. So I feel don't compare sachin to other just on his averages. I think he is the best batsmen India has to offer. Thanx

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