01 March 2010
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Simply The Best...Nasser Hussain
Simply the best
Former England captain says Sachin's the greatestNasser Hussain told Sky Sports News he believes Sachin Tendulkar may be even better than the great Don Bradman, after watching the Indian become the first player ever to hit a double century in a One Day International.
Tendulkar fired 25 fours and three sixes during his spell-binding 147-ball knock which helped India to an unassailable 2-0 series lead against South Africa in Gwalior.
The previous highest scores for an ODI were held jointly by Pakistan's Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwean Charles Coventry, who both amassed 194.
However, Tendulkar has once again re-written the record books and been hailed by former England captain Hussain as the greatest of all time - a title long considered to be that of Don Bradman who averaged an incredible 99.94 in Tests.
"In my opinion Tendulkar has got to be one of the greatest of all time, if not the greatest," Hussain told Sky Sports News.
"I put the telly on yesterday to watch the cricket and Sachin was again 100-odd not out. It is unbelievable. Every time I put the telly on this bloke is getting hundreds - I've lost count of how many he has got in both forms of the game.
"Then when he went on to get a double hundred I began thinking 'has there ever been a better player?'
"You shouldn't compare over eras but it is open for debate. It would have to come down between Bradman, Viv Richards - who I know a lot of people would go for - and Sachin. You can have your own choice but mine would be Tendulkar.
"He has 47 hundreds in Tests and now 46 hundreds in ODIs, his drive and his passion is so strong and there was a touch of genius about his double hundred against South Africa."
Runs against the bestOne thing that puts Tendulkar above the rest, according to Hussain, is his ability to score runs against the very best bowling attacks.
"I have played county cricket and seen the likes of Graham Gooch churn out big hundreds and double hundreds in one day cricket," he said. "But to do it against South Africa, who have a pretty decent attack, is very impressive.
"He also has the admiration of the other players. If you talk to the great bowlers like Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath and ask them to name the best batsman they've played against they say Tendulkar.
"His record against the best bowlers is phenomenal. He has done it against all the top nations."
Passion
Hussain told Sky Sports News he believes Tendulkar's drive comes from his passion for scoring runs - but he suspects the Little Master is targeting victory with India on home soil in next year's World Cup as the perfect way to bow out of the game.
"I don't think he is driven by the money he earns, which is obviously a lot, but by his love of batting. He is fearful of the day he can't bat anymore: that's his motivation. He loves being in the middle.
"However, the next World Cup is going to be very important.
"There has been a lot of praise for him in the last couple of days but the one thing some Indians have argued is that he has not won the World Cup for his country.
"We have the World Cup in the sub-continent this time next year and that will be the big pivotal moment for Tendulkar. He might then say that is a good time to call it a day, as a World Cup winner in India."
Glad to see 'real' Sachin Tendulkar... Kapil Dev
Glad to see 'real' Sachin Tendulkar, says Kapil Dev
Trust Kapil Dev to be a cut above the rest. What impressed the World Cup-winning captain about Sachin Tendulkar was not just the feat but the ‘making’ of it.
“I loved the method, the mindset and the approach more than the achievement. Finally, he is batting like Sachin Tendulkar should. This is the only way he should play,” Kapil told DNA. “Only he can bat like this. If he does that, he’s flawless and nobody can ever get him out.”
Kapil feels Tendulkar is peerless and a “change in approach” a few years back allowed the Laras and Pontings to inch closer.
“God knows what prompted Sachin to change his style. And because he did that, he allowed a few others to get close to him (in terms of numbers and records). Suddenly, we started comparing Lara and Ponting to Tendulkar. All I have to say is that there is no one like Tendulkar. He is the greatest.”
So, does he rate the Mumbaikar’s unbeaten 200 above the his own imperious 175? “I don’t want to get into that comparison business.” Is this the best ODI innings of all time? “How can I say that when I haven’t seen all ODI innings?” was another gem.
When asked what’s left for Tendulkar to achieve, Kapil said, “He is enjoying his cricket and we are enjoying his cricket. He doesn’t have to prove anything.” How about the World Cup? “You should ask him. I’m sure he wants to win it badly.” So, does he have a message for Tendulkar? Yes, please play like Sachin Tendulkar. Not like anyone else”
“I loved the method, the mindset and the approach more than the achievement. Finally, he is batting like Sachin Tendulkar should. This is the only way he should play,” Kapil told DNA. “Only he can bat like this. If he does that, he’s flawless and nobody can ever get him out.”
Kapil feels Tendulkar is peerless and a “change in approach” a few years back allowed the Laras and Pontings to inch closer.
“God knows what prompted Sachin to change his style. And because he did that, he allowed a few others to get close to him (in terms of numbers and records). Suddenly, we started comparing Lara and Ponting to Tendulkar. All I have to say is that there is no one like Tendulkar. He is the greatest.”
So, does he rate the Mumbaikar’s unbeaten 200 above the his own imperious 175? “I don’t want to get into that comparison business.” Is this the best ODI innings of all time? “How can I say that when I haven’t seen all ODI innings?” was another gem.
When asked what’s left for Tendulkar to achieve, Kapil said, “He is enjoying his cricket and we are enjoying his cricket. He doesn’t have to prove anything.” How about the World Cup? “You should ask him. I’m sure he wants to win it badly.” So, does he have a message for Tendulkar? Yes, please play like Sachin Tendulkar. Not like anyone else”
Ganguly wishes Tendulkar on his World Record
The opening partnership of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly in one-day cricket once used to put the fear of God among the rival bowlers. They still hold the record of scoring highest number of runs (6,609) for the first wicket, which came in 136 innings at an average of 49.32.
Ganguly, the former Indian skipper who retired from international cricket towards the end of 2008, still maintains that he enjoyed batting most with Tendulkar.
Did you congratulate him?
Sourav Ganguly: Oh yes and he immediately replied back. How can I prevent myself from sending a congratulatory message on such a big world record?
Now that he has crossed the 200-mark, will there be more surprises from the Little Master?
I sincerely believe we'll be getting more. He would be playing till the 2011 World Cup. Maybe he would decide not to play one-dayers after that. But if he wants, he can play for two more years even in one day matches. And as long as he plays, there will be surprises.
If you have to describe Sachin Tendulkar in one word…
Phenomenon. We are really lucky that we belong to the same generation. The next generation will never know what they had missed!
Nasser Hussain says that Sachin is greater than Sir Don. Your opinion...
I have not seen Sir Don. But among those I have seen, Sachin is clearly the best.
You have seen Sunil Gavaskar and Vivian Richards...
Yes. In Tests, Sunnybhai and Sachin are at par, but in one-dayers, Sachin is much ahead. Viv Richards was a batsman of different kind. But just have a look at Sachin's numbers 93 international hundreds, 30,000 international runs, around 450 one-day matches and 165 Test matches. It's simply amazing.
And if you have to consider his stature among the sporting icons of this generation?
Roger Federer in tennis, Tiger Woods in golf and Armstrong in cycling — Sachin would be in the same class with these three.
Only seven more hundreds needed to complete a century of international hundreds…
The way he is playing now, I'll not be surprised if he gets it in this year! In the last two years, he has been in great nick. Can you tell me how many hundreds he had scored in the last two years?
Six in Test matches and four in one-dayers. Since 2009 to date, his Test average is 78 while it's 62 in one-dayers.
See, even now, his appetite is the same. He has an insatiable hunger for runs. He is proving it every day that age is not at all a factor for a performer of the highest class.
Ganguly, the former Indian skipper who retired from international cricket towards the end of 2008, still maintains that he enjoyed batting most with Tendulkar.
Did you congratulate him?
Sourav Ganguly: Oh yes and he immediately replied back. How can I prevent myself from sending a congratulatory message on such a big world record?
Now that he has crossed the 200-mark, will there be more surprises from the Little Master?
I sincerely believe we'll be getting more. He would be playing till the 2011 World Cup. Maybe he would decide not to play one-dayers after that. But if he wants, he can play for two more years even in one day matches. And as long as he plays, there will be surprises.
If you have to describe Sachin Tendulkar in one word…
Phenomenon. We are really lucky that we belong to the same generation. The next generation will never know what they had missed!
Nasser Hussain says that Sachin is greater than Sir Don. Your opinion...
I have not seen Sir Don. But among those I have seen, Sachin is clearly the best.
You have seen Sunil Gavaskar and Vivian Richards...
Yes. In Tests, Sunnybhai and Sachin are at par, but in one-dayers, Sachin is much ahead. Viv Richards was a batsman of different kind. But just have a look at Sachin's numbers 93 international hundreds, 30,000 international runs, around 450 one-day matches and 165 Test matches. It's simply amazing.
And if you have to consider his stature among the sporting icons of this generation?
Roger Federer in tennis, Tiger Woods in golf and Armstrong in cycling — Sachin would be in the same class with these three.
Only seven more hundreds needed to complete a century of international hundreds…
The way he is playing now, I'll not be surprised if he gets it in this year! In the last two years, he has been in great nick. Can you tell me how many hundreds he had scored in the last two years?
Six in Test matches and four in one-dayers. Since 2009 to date, his Test average is 78 while it's 62 in one-dayers.
See, even now, his appetite is the same. He has an insatiable hunger for runs. He is proving it every day that age is not at all a factor for a performer of the highest class.
Sachin
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