Definition of greatness is 'Very large in size' or ' Remarkable or outstanding in magnitude, degree, or extent'. Now can we with conviction name a player, who qualifies to the definition above? The only two people who come closest to the above definition in ODI terms are IVA Richards and SR Tendulkar. I would put Viv Richards on a higher perch (yeah! even after yesterdays 200) because of the fact that he has won a WC final, with a century coming from his bat. If mere numbers indicate the greatness of a player, then Desmond Haynes has to be the greatest ODI player before Sachin Tendulkar took over the mantle of highest century scorer from him. A player's value in a team cause goes beyond mere numbers, which is the reason we don't tend to remember players like AB Agarkar. Coming back to Tendulkar, he would certainly sit on top of the pile if he wins the WORLD CUP for India in 2011, which, presumably is his last chance to do so
Now 17,598 runs at an average of 45.12 spread over 442 matches with 46 centuries, Phew! Those numbers are something that will elicit a wow! from the most sternest of critics. Dig a little further and you find that he has scored 10,737 runs in a winning cause with 33 centuries coming in those matches. Come to think of it, these runs are more than what Jacques Kallis has managed over a career and his centuries in a winning cause are more than any other player managed over a career. And yeah, before anyone is reminded, he also topped the run-scoring charts in two World Cups( 1996 and 2003) and he is the highest scorer in World Cups. Name the record and he has it, bar, the strike-rate related records. For all these humongous achievements, its tough to comprehend that he has not won a World Cup for the country
I guess people will certainly name his "Desert Storm" innings to be his best and Cricinfo have even drawn up a list of his six best innings. I don't concur with them as, according to me, they have not added two of his gems. One of them has to be the invaluable 41 that he contributed to that unforgettable chase in the Independence Cup final against Pakistan. In what was the highest chase of those times, Sachin tore into Aaqib Javed and gave India such a head start that by the time he fell India 71/1 in just 8.1 overs. Talk about taking the game by the scruff of the neck as these runs were scored at a strike rate of 157.69. One more of his innings thats fresh in memory is one from the World Cup 1996. Against Australia, chasing 259 Sachin scored a superb 90. The most remarkable aspect of that match was the way he treated Mcgrath and Warne. Mcgrath after bowling three maiden overs had his perfect figures torn apart by this man and the way he welcomed Shane Warne into the attack was legendary as he came down the track and lofted it straight down the ground for a six and went on to take 10 runs of the over
As mentioned earlier, he is peerless in modern day cricket when it comes to ODI's. Whenever one has to draw a list of "Ten best ODI innings", am very sure there would be at least 3 knocks featuring Tendulkar. A look or a cursory glance at any kind of history tells us that he has been there for India in the crunch moments. One need not look beyond Hero Cup semi-final for evidence. What a final over he had bowled, conceding just three runs when South Africa required six. What he does not have is a similar kind of a performance in a World Cup final. Remember Viv Richards changed the course of 1975 World Cup final with three run-out's and in 1979 final he scored a century. This is the kind of influence that Sachin needs to exert to be the best and its only in comparison to the great Richards that he comes up as second best as he blew up in the single most important match of his career (2003 WC final)
Now 17,598 runs at an average of 45.12 spread over 442 matches with 46 centuries, Phew! Those numbers are something that will elicit a wow! from the most sternest of critics. Dig a little further and you find that he has scored 10,737 runs in a winning cause with 33 centuries coming in those matches. Come to think of it, these runs are more than what Jacques Kallis has managed over a career and his centuries in a winning cause are more than any other player managed over a career. And yeah, before anyone is reminded, he also topped the run-scoring charts in two World Cups( 1996 and 2003) and he is the highest scorer in World Cups. Name the record and he has it, bar, the strike-rate related records. For all these humongous achievements, its tough to comprehend that he has not won a World Cup for the country
I guess people will certainly name his "Desert Storm" innings to be his best and Cricinfo have even drawn up a list of his six best innings. I don't concur with them as, according to me, they have not added two of his gems. One of them has to be the invaluable 41 that he contributed to that unforgettable chase in the Independence Cup final against Pakistan. In what was the highest chase of those times, Sachin tore into Aaqib Javed and gave India such a head start that by the time he fell India 71/1 in just 8.1 overs. Talk about taking the game by the scruff of the neck as these runs were scored at a strike rate of 157.69. One more of his innings thats fresh in memory is one from the World Cup 1996. Against Australia, chasing 259 Sachin scored a superb 90. The most remarkable aspect of that match was the way he treated Mcgrath and Warne. Mcgrath after bowling three maiden overs had his perfect figures torn apart by this man and the way he welcomed Shane Warne into the attack was legendary as he came down the track and lofted it straight down the ground for a six and went on to take 10 runs of the over
As mentioned earlier, he is peerless in modern day cricket when it comes to ODI's. Whenever one has to draw a list of "Ten best ODI innings", am very sure there would be at least 3 knocks featuring Tendulkar. A look or a cursory glance at any kind of history tells us that he has been there for India in the crunch moments. One need not look beyond Hero Cup semi-final for evidence. What a final over he had bowled, conceding just three runs when South Africa required six. What he does not have is a similar kind of a performance in a World Cup final. Remember Viv Richards changed the course of 1975 World Cup final with three run-out's and in 1979 final he scored a century. This is the kind of influence that Sachin needs to exert to be the best and its only in comparison to the great Richards that he comes up as second best as he blew up in the single most important match of his career (2003 WC final)
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