Sachin vs Lara

For years these two legends have broken many records and no doubt they are going to break many in the coming years. The Question that arises in every one's mind is" Lara or Tendulkar".

Is Brian Lara a better batsman than India's Sachin Tendulkar?

Here is a collection of some views.

Wisden

Wisden writes in a piece headlined "Tendulkar the Great (and getting greater)".
It went on to cite that Tendulkar's had been the 28 most prolific years and 27 of the most prodigious months in the history of batting.

Player Views

Steve Waugh:

"You take Don Bradman away and he (Sachin) is next up, I reckon."

Brian Lara:

"Sachin is a genius. I'm a mere mortal. I would like to be a lot more consistent. I would like to be a (Sachin) Tendulkar, or someone like that, someone who could go out in the middle and keep scoring; if he doesn't get a hundred, he gets at least 30 or 40, and scores like that. You know, it would be great to be that sort of individual.
But, looking at it, I am also happy to be the player that I am. The big scores that I get, scoring 500 runs in one innings, or 375 runs in another innings, is something special too. I have got to be able to take the good with the bad. I am quite happy with the way things are for me batting-wise. But, as a top-flight player, you want to be considered not only as someone who could spoon out great performances, but someone who has been consistent over the years. I have not been able to measure up to that yet, but hopefully, in the latter part of my career, I will be able to do that."

Marlon Samuels:

 "Sachin is the best batsman in the world. The way he lifts the team and the way he bats. Watching him play helps me in my batting."
Andy Flower: "There's Sachin on one hand, and then there are the rest of us."

Wasim Akram:

 "I have bowled to both Tendulkar and Lara and I have found Lara more attacking. Tendulkar has a tighter technique, no doubt, but Lara can single-handedly win the game for his team. I am not saying Tendulkar cannot do it but Lara has maybe done it more often than him. If you are asking me who the best batsman I have bowled to is, then it's not Tendulkar and not Lara as well. It's Martin Crowe... he was an amazing batsman. Regarding Tendulkar and Lara, I would love to have both in my team! Who wouldn't?"

Glenn McGrath:

"For me, it's Tendulkar. Both are class acts but I am saying this because I have had more success against Lara than I have against Tendulkar. I think I have a fair idea of what Lara likes and doesn't like and I feel I can make his life at the crease very uncomfortable. He is vulnerable outside the off-stump early on and is not as tight as Tendulkar in defense. I would go for Tendulkar as the best in the world."

Waqar Younis:

 "Unfortunately, I have not bowled enough to Tendulkar in Test matches but there is no doubt about his class. I have bowled against Lara and I have had some success against him. I think over the years I would say I have been fifty-fifty against both Tendulkar and Lara. I have got them a few times and they have got runs against me as well. I can never forget a 16-year-old Tendulkar batting on after being struck on the nose by a fast bouncer from me. I think Tendulkar is mentally tougher than Lara."

Muthiah Muralitharan:

 "I have played a lot of cricket against Tendulkar compared to what I have played against Lara. While both are difficult to bowl to, I think Lara plays me better than Tendulkar. That Lara is a left-hander is an advantage to him, but the great thing about him is he launches into the attack straightaway. He uses his feet well against me while Tendulkar relies more on the sweep, I feel. I find Lara tougher."

Jason Gillespie:

"In my opinion it's Tendulkar who is ahead of the two. Mentally stronger than Lara, he has a better technique as well. Tendulkar doesn't get worked up like Lara when the opposition has a few words to say to him. Lara on his day can be destructive, but you have to look at consistency and I think Tendulkar is definitely more consistent than Lara."

Saqlain Mushtaq:

 "Both have their good qualities but I feel Tendulkar doesn't give as many chances as Lara does. Lara, once he settles down, can be a better player to watch because of the left-hander's grace and also because he plays more shots. He has played more match-winning innings compared to Tendulkar because he finished off the job once he is in. But Sachin is more compact and puts a heavy price on his wicket. It is more difficult to dislodge Tendulkar compared to Lara."
Barry Richards:

"Lara is a better batsman than Sachin simply because he tends to score big whenever he plays against teams like Australia and South Africa and the stats actually support it. Lara has scored three 200's against the Aussies 2 of which have come in Australia and apart from that he has a test record of 375 as well whereas Sachin has a couple of 200's against New Zealand and Zimbabwe and that too in India."

Sir Vivian Richards :

"Players like Sachin deserve to be preserved in cotton wool. I first saw him when he was touring England. I saw two of his innings. When you start hitting respectable fast bowlers for sixes over their heads then you are serving notice."

Geoffrey Boycott

(For Sachin)

:"Form is Temporary but the Class is Permanent"

Sir Donald Bradman

"Sachin Style of Playing resembles my style. That Touch I use to feel when I batted".

Great Sunil Gavaskar

"Sachin Tendulkar is better than Sir Donald Bradman"

Andrew Flintoff

"Sachin Tendulkar is a better batsman than brian Lara"

Ricky Ponting

"If I would like to have three men in my team from the oppostion squad they would be Andrew Flintoff, Murali andSACHIN TENDULKAR"

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