Look at the numbers after 205 Test innings—Smith and Sachin are almost identical—same number of hundreds and fifties, similar averages, even strike rates. But somehow, Sachin is worshipped, and Smith is just... respected.
Power of hype: India's billion fans turned a prodigy into a deity, while Aussies let their freak bat in peace.
It’s not just about stats. Sachin was cricket’s heartbeat for a billion people. Smith, no matter how brilliant, doesn’t carry that emotional weight. This isn’t about who’s better. It’s about how hype, timing, and legacy shape the way we remember greatness.
After 205 innings -
Sachin was 31, Smith was 35. general fan opinion often leans towards valuing potential, so a younger player with similar stats to an older one may be viewed more favourably due to their projected future success.
No one had any clue that Smith would go on to become an ATG and potentially the second-best Test batsman of all time. In contrast, Sachin was rated among the very best even in his early days, scoring overseas Test hundreds at a very young age. In the 1990s, only Steve Waugh and Brian Lara could match him in Test cricket, but in ODIs, he was head and shoulders above them, stamping his absolute authority. Think of Anwar in ODIs and Lara in Tests, combined in one player.
Smith tends to slip out of the limelight when he's not playing Tests, whereas Sachin was relentless throughout the late 1990s.
Many people actually believe that Sachin underachieved due to his tennis elbow injury. He didn’t feast on the flat pitches of the 2000s as much as players like Dravid, Kallis, Sangakkara, Ponting, and Younus did.
Another factor that works in Sachin’s favour is that the 1990s were arguably the last golden era of cricket. We were lucky to witness legends like Warne, Akram, Donald, Saqlain, Murali, McGrath, and many other all-time greats playing together. Even teams like Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies were strong and competitive.
In the Indian context, Sachin is comparable to WG Grace, a pioneering and highly influential figure. His stardom helped fill the coffers of the BCCI and played a huge role in popularizing the game.
Sachin also reached the peak of his stature thanks to his integrity and dedication. He came out of the match-fixing era completely unscathed, which only strengthened his reputation as a true ambassador of the sport.
