Harsh Thakor
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The history of cricket or even sport has figures who can be awarded the status of immortals or equivalents of prophets .Even all-time legends could be thrown into the oblivion by them.
2 such figures are Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar.In their day they bestowed glory arguably no sportsmen did.Nonone ruled the world for such a tenure as Tendulkar while none came close to rivalling the aura supremacy of Bradman. There were more gifted batsmen or those who were technically sounder ,dominated bowling more and more elegant.However none apart from the possible exception of Barry Richards and Gary Sobers came so close to a perfect cricketing machine.In their eras they arguably made more of an impact than a Julius Caesar.
They were similar in playing style with Bradman more unorthodox or save and Sachin marginally more refined and better in the 'V'region.I would prefer a straight drive or on drive of Sachin to Bradman's but feel the Don was a more effective puller or cutter.Tendulkar had more majestic lofted shots with the advent of ODI cricket but it could well have been the Don who could piece the gaps more effectively.Bradman was he more ruthless or destructive,Sachin the more organized or clinical.Bradman had a comparative beater strike rate but it was Sachin who had the wider repertoire of strokes.
Bradman played on uncovered pitches which was a disadvantage but Tendulkar played in a much more competitive era in terms of bowling and fielding.Difficult to visualize Bradman piecing gaps as frequently with the greatly improved fielding .It must be mentioned that Bradman was not at his best and even overshadowed by George Headley and Jack Hobbs on wet or bad sticklers.In contrast some of Tendulkar's best innings have come on bad wickets like versus Pakistan at Madras in 1999.Bradman was not at his best against bodyline while Sachin although troubled executed some of his finest knocks against the genuine pace of a Donald or Wasim.Tendulkar was also much more tested against the great spinners of his time while Bradman hardly played great spinners or tackled turning tracks.Unlike even Hammond or Hutton Bradman dos not have an outstanding performance on a treacherous pitch.
Both made Herculean comebacks in a Muhammad Ali style.Bradman after the completion of World War 2, and Sachin after his elbow tennis injury.
Where Bradman strode out like a collosus was his statistical figures whee he literally redefined the mathematical law of averages.No sportsman ever was so head and shoulders above opponents as the Don mathematically.In the statistical sense all-time great batsmen would appear pedestal like Walter Hammond or Len Hutton.In that light Bradman reached a pinnacle of glory none did like an emperor who took invincibility to mythical or metaphysical proportions.There is no adjective to describe the aura of Bradman who gave vibrations of defying the laws of gravity or physics.In full flow it appeared as though he was posessed by some mythical spirits.6996 runs at an Average of 99.94 with 29 centuries in 80 innings is something no batsmen will ever come close to let alone equal or surpass.What was very complex to understand was how Bradman was statistically in different league from geniuses like Jack Hobbs.Walter Hammond,Denis Compton or George Headley.Imagine Bradman averaged 174 in the matches he scored centuries and in games where he did not score a century averaged 83.14.He scored 27 first class double centuries within a day itself which is remarkable.The slowest hundred of his career was s cored in 253 minutes which is remarkable even by standards today.Bradman also gave not more than 93 chances in his carer which is amazing.Quoting English mathematician Hardy "Bradman's a whole class above any batsmen who ever lived:if Archimdes,Newton and Gauss remained in the Hobbs class,I have to admit the possibilty of a class above them,which I find difficult to imagine.They better be moved from now on to the Bradman class."
Tendulkar has broken all the records for run aggregates by a batsmen before 25 and has a staggering 100 International centuries which may also never be surpassed.What is beyond doubt is none may come close to being at the top of the pedestal as a cricketer or batsmen as Tendulkar,asserting as much a degree of supremacy in both test and ODI cricket.Ofcourse Tendulkar was run much closer by other great batsmen than Bradman with the likes of Lara or Ponting at his best .It must be stated that Tendulkar faced twice the pressure Bradman did often having to single-handedly carry the fort,at his best.Bradman was more the match-winner with greater killer instinct but it was Tendulkar who was more of the battler in hostile conditions.Had Bradman played in the modern age I would still back him to average around 7-75 in test cricket but not equal Tendulkar's staggering landmark of 100 centuries or equal Tendulkar. on difficult tracks. Somehow I doubt the Don would have equalled Sachin's test century in South Africa in 2011 in most difficult conditions or his 2 ODI innings versus Australia at Sharjah in 1998.Bradman only played in England and Australia,unlike Tendulkar who played all around the globe.Unlike Bradman,Tendulkar played in world cups,which is noteworthy,and was the most impactful batsmen.Tendulkar played and performed best against the top team of his day,Australia.Bradman played for the best team of his day.Overall by a whisker,I feel Tendulkar in a total package was the more complete or perfect batsmen.
I find it hard visualizing Bradman equal the prowess of Viv Richards or the defiance of Sunil Gavaskar against express pace.Nor would I back Bradman to equal the strike rate or lust for mammoth scores of Virendra Sehwag or Brian Lara.I feel in ODI cricket Viv would have overshadowed the Don.Still in all fairness Tendulkar may well have averaged below 70 in tests in Bradman's era.I strongly feel greats like Hobbs,Hammond and Headley would have come considerably closer to Bradman had they played in the modern era.I feel morally figures flatter Bradman's superiority to his peers with Stan Mcabe playing bodyline bowling better or Trumper,Headley and Hobbs overshadowing Bradman on wet pitches.Jack Hobbs;s centuries were compiled or runs amassed on considerably harder wickets even in test cricket.George Headley had to wage the battle of a lone crusader much more .Bradman had the support of Bill Ponsford,,Stan Mcabe,Lindsay Hasset,,Kippax and Brown who were all prolific.It must be noted that on wet pitches Bradman passed 50 only twice ,40 only twice and 15 only 4 times.In contrast Headley averaged 39.85 .If scaling scoring rates I still do not back Bradman to equal Viv Richards or Sehwag's strike rate in test cricket or Brian Lara at his best.Very hard visualizing the Don surpass Lara's unbeaten 153 in 1999 v Australia,Viv Richard's unbeaten 189 in an ODI against England Old Trafford in 1984. or Sunil Gavaskar's 96 on a broken pitch v Pakistan at Bangalore in 1987.
What set them both apart was temperament where Bradman had the edge by a whisker .Bradman had superior concentration but it was Tendulkar's mental teanacity that was more tested and expressed.I feel the Don and Sachin had talent more or less the same level.Both were champions of their eras and it may need pyschic powers to asess how each would have performed if the era was interchanged.It may well be that if inter changing the era in essence they would no more be a Bradman or a Tendulkar,even if spectacular.Afterall sport is so much about mental adjustment to specific conditions.It is significant that both did not score the qualitatively best test or ODI innings of all time and few who possessed more cricketing genius.It is pertinent that both Bradman and Tendulkar in their respective eras had batsmen who were more talented,better against express pace and better performers on bad wickets.Tendulkar would not surpass the artistry of Lara ,or the skill of Rahul Dravid on bad pitch just as Bradman would be overshadowed by Denis Compton for creativity and by George Headley on a bad wicket.
With a gun on my head if it was only considering Test Cricket Bradman wins my vote .However overall adding ODI cricket I give Tendulkar the nod by a whisker.Bradman may have won the statistical game against Tendulkar but not matched Tendulkar's longevity overall or ability to perform as outstandingly under pressure or in difficult conditions.To me the sum total or magnitude of Sachin's 100 International centuries and 30,000 international runs when considering pressure and era was by a whisker worth more than Bradman's mythical or unimaginable figures of ,6996 runs and 29 centuries scored in 52 innings at an average of 99.94.Bradman did not have half as great bowlers in his era as Sachin did be it the likes of Wasim,Mcgrath,Donald,Warne or Ambrose.I would apologize to all cricket fans if I erred in judgement by not respecting the figures which should make Bradman the inevitable champion of all.No mathematical asessment could elevate any great batsmen to the pedestal of Bradman.However if one critically sees the video films and thus get a more critical insight into the picture,it is touch and go.Such a debate has depths to the degree of the topic of how the Universe itself began.However I feel cricket is not all about statistics ,which is the beauty of the game.
Quoting late Hanif Mohammaed."“I am one of those fortune people who have seen Bradman and Tendulkar bat in my lifetime and in my opinion Tendulkar is the best batsman I have seen in my life.I am fortunate to have played in the Bradman era and also seen the greatness of Tendulkar and inevitably I am asked who is the greatest batsman of all time. Was it Bradman with his Test average of 99 or Tendulkar with his 100 international hundreds? Surely Bradman should get this title but it is always tough to make such comparisons and for me there is no comparison. Because it is safe to say that when you play more matches, your average does tend to get affected.There is no doubt about Bradman's class or caliber but Tendulkar stands out with his consistency, determination and run scoring feats in the last 25 years. He has shown what one can achieve with sheer hardwork and passion and he became the best by consistently performing in any format."
Quoting Richard Hadlee ""Well, Sir Donald Bradman has been regarded as the greatest player ever," Hadlee said. "He played just Test cricket. He hasn't played any other forms of the game. Clearly, that is understandable. But to see Sachin and other players actually adjust to different forms of the game and different conditions all around the world, even though the average is fractionally more than half of the Don's is in itself incredible. You got to respect it and write those performances.""
Quoting Zaheer Abbas"
"People keep calling him (Bradman) the greatest. I never saw him bat but I know, somehow, that he couldn't have been better than Tendulkar,"
"This boy [Tendulkar] has certainly gone a step ahead of the Don. Just look at the guy. I mean he has been playing for 21 years, has scored thousands of runs, dozens of centuries but is still hungry for more as a debutant. It's such an inspiring sight to see him go out there and still bat like he batted as a teenager."
BRADMAN ON BAD WICKETS
Of course, the only way to test this hypothesis, that the Don was merely mortal on a damp pitch, was to go through each of the match reports and determine which of his innings could be considered to have been made on rain-affected pitches. Although rain fell in a significant number of the Tests in which he played, not all necessarily affected the Don’s own innings – here is a listing of all of the Tests in which Bradman appeared which were affected by rain, together with details of the relevant innings:-
Date Opponent Inns Comments
29-Dec-1928 England 79 & 112 rain affected the pitch after Bradman’s innings
13-Jun-1930 England 8 & 131 wicket had improved by the 4th innings, so only his first innings was affected
11-Jun-1930 England 334 rain affected the pitch after Bradman’s innings
25-Jul-1930 England 14 innings affected by rain
16-Aug-1930 England 232 rain affected the pitch after Bradman’s innings
1-Jan-1931 West Indies 25 rain affected the pitch after Bradman’s innings
16-Jan-1931 West Indies 223 after rain overnight, Bradman did not add to his score
27-Feb-1931 West Indies 43 & 0 both innings affected by rain
27-Nov-1931 South Africa 226 rain affected the pitch after Bradman’s innings
18-Dec-1931 South Africa 112 rain affected the pitch after Bradman’s innings
8-Jun-1934 England 29 & 25 only Bradman’s second innings was rain-affected
22-Jun-1934 England 36 & 13 both innings affected by rain
20-Jul-1934 England 304 rain affected the pitch after Bradman’s innings
18-Aug-1934 England 244 & 77 after rain overnight, Bradman added one to his second-innings score
4-Dec-1936 England 38 & 0 only Bradman’s second innings was rain-affected (rain between fourth and fifth days)
18-Dec-1936 England 0 & 82 both innings affected by rain
1-Jan-1937 England 13 & 270 only Bradman’s first innings was rain-affected
24-Jun-1938 England 18 & 102 rain did not affect Australia’s innings
29-Nov-1946 England 187 rain did not affect Australia’s innings
28-Nov-1947 India 185 rain did not affect Australia’s innings
12-Dec-1947 India 13 innings affected by rain
1-Jan-1948 India 132 & 127 rain did not affect Australia’s innings
10-Jun-1948 England 138 & 0 rain did not affect Australia’s innings
8-Jul-1948 England 7 & 30* both innings affected by rain
14-Aug-1948 England 0 innings affected by rain
Note: during the Test of 22-Jul-1938, a match played in high humidity, Bradman would not appeal against the bad light as he did not want to have to bat next day on a potentially damp wicket. In the event it did not rain, so that match doesn’t appear in the list above.
Rain affected 25 of the 52 Tests in which Bradman played, i.e. almost half – the Don’s affected innings are shown in bold above, so we can now create two averages for Bradman, one for rain-affected innings and one for non-affected innings, i.e. more equivalent to playing today on covered wickets.
By my reckoning there were fifteen of Bradman’s Test innings which we can consider rain-affected and treat them separately – here are the adjusted averages:-
MATCHES INNINGS RUNS NO AVERAGE HS 100 50 0
11 15 284 1 20.29 82 0 1 4
41 65 6712 9 119.90 334 29 12 3
STATISTICS COMPILED FROM S.RAJESH OF CRICINFO ON BRADMAN
As we can see, there is a significant difference between his performances on rain-affected pitches as compared with those which were unaffected – not only was he merely mortal on those wickets, he was not even good; he made only one fifty in fifteen innings, or a rate of 6.7%, compared with 41 out of 65 on unaffected pitches, or a rate of 63.1%. Also, four of his seven ducks were achieved on damp pitches (including, of course, that most famous duck, in his final test innings).
Even among cricketing legends, Don Bradman's stature is one that no other player has come close to. His stats are so much better than anyone before, during or after his time, that it truly boggles the mind. Various arguments are offered about the changes in the game today to try and explain 99.94: fielding standards have improved, making it tougher for batsmen to score; captains are more agreeable to posting defensive fields and restricting the runs; the game is played across several countries as opposed to just a few during Bradman's time, making it more difficult to adjust to different conditions. While these statements may be true as independent facts, they do nothing to diminish the sheer genius of the Don, and the staggering magnitude of his achievements.
The most famous number, of course, is his Test average, which is 64% better than the next-best (with a cut-off of 2000 runs). That alone shows how much better Bradman has been than anyone who has ever played the game. Comparing the overall batting numbers during his time with the corresponding number today further illustrates this point: in the 20 years in which Bradman played his Test cricket, the overall batting average was 31.85; in the 21 years since Sachin Tendulkar's Test debut, the overall batting average in 845 Tests is 31.07. Restricting this only to top-order batsmen (batsmen in the top six of a line-up) also throws up similar numbers - 39.99 during Bradman's time (1928 to 1948), and 38.40 during Tendulkar's (November 1989 onwards).
Apart from Bradman and Graeme Pollock, West Indian George Headley and Herbert Sutcliffe of England were the only ones who scored more than 2000 Test runs at averages of more than 60.
Highest averages in Test cricket (Qual: 2000 runs)
Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s
Don Bradman 52 6996 99.94 29/ 13
Graeme Pollock 23 2256 60.97 7/ 11
George Headley 22 2190 60.83 10/ 5
Herbert Sutcliffe 54 4555 60.73 16/ 23
Ken Barrington 82 6806 58.67 20/ 35
Everton Weekes 48 4455 58.61 15/ 19
Wally Hammond 85 7249 58.45 22/ 24
Garry Sobers 93 8032 57.78 26/ 30
Among the batsmen who averaged 60, Pollock was the only one who came in after Bradman's time. Till the end of the 1940s, when Bradman finished his international career, Headley's 63.91 was the nearest anyone came to his 99.94 (though Headley's average fell away a bit later). Denis Compton, who was almost halfway through his Test career, averaged more than 60 at that point too, but his performances fell away thereafter and he finished averaging 50.06 from 78 matches.
Best Test averages before 1950 (Qual: 2000 runs)
Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s
Don Bradman 52 6996 99.94 29/ 13
George Headley 21 2173 63.91 10/ 5
Herbert Sutcliffe 54 4555 60.73 16/ 23
Denis Compton 36 3132 60.23 13/ 12
Dudley Nourse 26 2469 58.78 8/ 12
Wally Hammond 85 7249 58.45 22/ 24
Jack Hobbs 61 5410 56.94 15/ 28
Len Hutton 41 3788 56.53 11/ 17
Bradman's stats are even more remarkable because of the eight years he lost due to the War. His ill health meant he might not have played too much cricket during this period anyway, but when international cricket resumed in 1946, he was able to summon his best immediately: in his first innings he scored 187 in Brisbane against England, and followed that up with 234 in the next Test, in Sydney. He followed that up with four centuries in six innings against India in 1947-48, and then, in the famous tour of the Invincibles in 1948, scored an unforgettable 173 not out as Australia became the first team to successfully chase a 400-plus target in the fourth innings. In the 15 Tests he played after the War, Bradman averaged more than 105, and scored eight hundreds.
S.RAJESH ON SACHIN TENDULKAR IN CRICINFO
Tendulkar's Test career
Period Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s
Till Dec 1992 20 1085 37.41 4/ 4
Jan 1993 to Dec 1996 26 2021 59.44 6/ 11
Jan 1997 to Dec 2002 59 5705 63.38 21/ 20
Jan 2003 to Dec 2006 29 1779 44.47 4/ 7
Jan 2007 onwards 32 2857 58.30 12/ 12
Career 166 13,447 55.56 47/ 54
During that six-year period from January 1997 to December 2002, Tendulkar was unquestionably the best batsman in the world, handling pace in Australia and South Africa as effectively as he did spin in Sri Lanka. And then, of course, there was the epic 136 against Pakistan in Chennai which, unfortunately for him, wasn't enough to take India to victory against Pakistan.
In only 59 Tests he managed 21 centuries - an average of one every 2.81 matches. His average during this phase was well ahead of the second-placed Andy Flower, who led a string of batsmen who averaged in the md-50s.
Best Test batsmen between Jan 1997 and Dec 2002
Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s
Sachin Tendulkar 59 5705 63.38 21/ 20
Andy Flower 41 3464 56.78 9/ 18
Matthew Hayden 35 3054 56.55 12/ 10
Rahul Dravid 62 5178 55.08 14/ 25
Aravinda de Silva 38 3134 54.98 12/ 9
Inzamam-ul-Haq 49 3740 51.94 12/ 15
Jacques Kallis 63 4447 51.70 11/ 25
Ricky Ponting 57 3916 50.85 14/ 14
Unfortunately for Tendulkar, his best period coincided with one where India had a poor bowling attack, especially overseas, and a batting line-up that tended to crumble quite often on tours. In 69 Tests between the beginning of 1993 and the end of 2001, India won 23, but only three of those came abroad. During this period, Tendulkar contributed almost 20% of all runs scored off the bat by India, and more than 21% when they played in Australia, South Africa, England, New Zealand or the West Indies. From 2002 onwards, there were many more batsmen contributing - Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman weighed in consistently both home and away, which significantly reduced the dependence on Tendulkar: he has contributed only 14.30% of the team runs since 2002. With the bowling attack getting stronger as well, Tendulkar has been a part of 15 away Test wins during this period, and 32 wins in all in these eight-and-a-half years.
Tendulkar's contribution to the team
Period Tendulkar's runs Team runs Percentage
Till Dec 1992 1085 9122 11.89
Jan 1993 to Dec 2001 6334 32,048 19.76
Jan '93 to Dec '01, in Aus, SA, NZ, Eng, WI 1783 8368 21.31
Jan 2002 onwards 6028 42,140 14.30
Overall 13,477 83,310 16.18
A standout feature of Tendulkar's career has been his tendency to save his best for the greatest team of his generation. Few batsmen have consistently got the better of Australia over the last two decades, but Tendulkar is clearly one of them. His two stunning hundreds on his first tour to Australia announced him as a special talent, while his Boxing Day century in 1999 showed the gulf between him and the rest of the Indian batsmen. Later in his career some of the others - Laxman and Sehwag, especially - also showed their liking for the Australian attack, but Tendulkar is the one player who has sustained his performances against Australia for 20 years.
Highest Test averages against Australia since 1990
Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s
Sachin Tendulkar 29 2748 56.08 10/ 11
VVS Laxman 24 2204 55.10 6/ 10
Virender Sehwag 15 1483 51.13 3/ 7
Brian Lara 31 2856 51.00 9/ 11
Kevin Pietersen 12 1116 50.72 2/ 7
Richie Richardson 14 1084 49.27 4/ 4
Graham Thorpe 16 1235 45.74 3/ 8
Shivnarine Chanderpaul 17 1303 44.93 4/ 8
Tendulkar's Test average in Australia is marginally higher than his average against them at home, while six of his ten hundreds against them have come in Australia.
Best Test averages by overseas batsmen in Australia since 1990 (Qual: 750 runs)
Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s
Virender Sehwag 7 833 59.50 2/ 3
Sachin Tendulkar 16 1522 58.53 6/ 5
VVS Laxman 11 1081 54.05 4/ 3
Rahul Dravid 12 972 48.60 1/ 5
Jacques Kallis 12 915 45.75 2/ 5
Brian Lara 19 1469 41.97
4/ 4
The ODI master
Tendulkar has set some pretty awesome records in Tests, but some of his ODI stats are arguably more staggering. His career aggregate is currently more than 4000 ahead of his nearest competitor, and it'll certainly go up even further by the time he retires. As an opener, he has scored almost 15,000 runs at an average touching 49, which is the highest for openers who've scored at least 2500.
Like in Tests, Tendulkar has also raised his game against the Australians in one-day internationals, scoring more than 3000 runs against them - the only one to do so - at an average of more than 46.
Best ODI batsmen against Australia since 1990 (Qual: 750 runs)
Batsman ODIs Runs Average Strike rate 100s/ 50s
Aravinda de Silva 24 997 49.85 83.43 2/ 6
Hansie Cronje 39 1364 47.03 73.05 2/ 9
Sachin Tendulkar 67 3005 46.23 85.12 9/ 14
Lance Klusener 26 794 44.11 87.34 0/ 5
Kumar Sangakkara 28 1134 43.61 74.80 1/ 8
Jonty Rhodes 55 1610 40.25 77.92 0/ 10
Brian Lara 51 1858 39.53 76.58 3/ 15
Tendulkar has already stated that he will play the 2011 World Cup, and if his past record at the tournament is anything to go by, opposition bowlers will have plenty to worry about. He has already played five World Cups so far, averaging almost 58 in 36 matches. With the format guaranteeing each team at least six matches, Tendulkar has an excellent chance to become the first batsman to score 2000 World Cup runs.
Best performers in World Cups (Qual: 1000 runs)
Batsman Matches Runs Average Strike rate 100s/ 50s
Viv Richards 23 1013 63.31 85.05 3/ 5
Sachin Tendulkar 36 1796 57.93 88.21 4/ 13
Herschelle Gibbs 25 1067 56.15 87.38 2/ 8
Sourav Ganguly 21 1006 55.88 77.50 4/ 3
Mark Waugh 22 1004 52.84 83.73 4/ 4
Ricky Ponting 39 1537 48.03 81.06 4/ 6
Javed Miandad 33 1083 43.32 68.02 1/ 8
Brian Lara 34 1225 42.24 86.26 2/ 7
2 such figures are Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar.In their day they bestowed glory arguably no sportsmen did.Nonone ruled the world for such a tenure as Tendulkar while none came close to rivalling the aura supremacy of Bradman. There were more gifted batsmen or those who were technically sounder ,dominated bowling more and more elegant.However none apart from the possible exception of Barry Richards and Gary Sobers came so close to a perfect cricketing machine.In their eras they arguably made more of an impact than a Julius Caesar.
They were similar in playing style with Bradman more unorthodox or save and Sachin marginally more refined and better in the 'V'region.I would prefer a straight drive or on drive of Sachin to Bradman's but feel the Don was a more effective puller or cutter.Tendulkar had more majestic lofted shots with the advent of ODI cricket but it could well have been the Don who could piece the gaps more effectively.Bradman was he more ruthless or destructive,Sachin the more organized or clinical.Bradman had a comparative beater strike rate but it was Sachin who had the wider repertoire of strokes.
Bradman played on uncovered pitches which was a disadvantage but Tendulkar played in a much more competitive era in terms of bowling and fielding.Difficult to visualize Bradman piecing gaps as frequently with the greatly improved fielding .It must be mentioned that Bradman was not at his best and even overshadowed by George Headley and Jack Hobbs on wet or bad sticklers.In contrast some of Tendulkar's best innings have come on bad wickets like versus Pakistan at Madras in 1999.Bradman was not at his best against bodyline while Sachin although troubled executed some of his finest knocks against the genuine pace of a Donald or Wasim.Tendulkar was also much more tested against the great spinners of his time while Bradman hardly played great spinners or tackled turning tracks.Unlike even Hammond or Hutton Bradman dos not have an outstanding performance on a treacherous pitch.
Both made Herculean comebacks in a Muhammad Ali style.Bradman after the completion of World War 2, and Sachin after his elbow tennis injury.
Where Bradman strode out like a collosus was his statistical figures whee he literally redefined the mathematical law of averages.No sportsman ever was so head and shoulders above opponents as the Don mathematically.In the statistical sense all-time great batsmen would appear pedestal like Walter Hammond or Len Hutton.In that light Bradman reached a pinnacle of glory none did like an emperor who took invincibility to mythical or metaphysical proportions.There is no adjective to describe the aura of Bradman who gave vibrations of defying the laws of gravity or physics.In full flow it appeared as though he was posessed by some mythical spirits.6996 runs at an Average of 99.94 with 29 centuries in 80 innings is something no batsmen will ever come close to let alone equal or surpass.What was very complex to understand was how Bradman was statistically in different league from geniuses like Jack Hobbs.Walter Hammond,Denis Compton or George Headley.Imagine Bradman averaged 174 in the matches he scored centuries and in games where he did not score a century averaged 83.14.He scored 27 first class double centuries within a day itself which is remarkable.The slowest hundred of his career was s cored in 253 minutes which is remarkable even by standards today.Bradman also gave not more than 93 chances in his carer which is amazing.Quoting English mathematician Hardy "Bradman's a whole class above any batsmen who ever lived:if Archimdes,Newton and Gauss remained in the Hobbs class,I have to admit the possibilty of a class above them,which I find difficult to imagine.They better be moved from now on to the Bradman class."
Tendulkar has broken all the records for run aggregates by a batsmen before 25 and has a staggering 100 International centuries which may also never be surpassed.What is beyond doubt is none may come close to being at the top of the pedestal as a cricketer or batsmen as Tendulkar,asserting as much a degree of supremacy in both test and ODI cricket.Ofcourse Tendulkar was run much closer by other great batsmen than Bradman with the likes of Lara or Ponting at his best .It must be stated that Tendulkar faced twice the pressure Bradman did often having to single-handedly carry the fort,at his best.Bradman was more the match-winner with greater killer instinct but it was Tendulkar who was more of the battler in hostile conditions.Had Bradman played in the modern age I would still back him to average around 7-75 in test cricket but not equal Tendulkar's staggering landmark of 100 centuries or equal Tendulkar. on difficult tracks. Somehow I doubt the Don would have equalled Sachin's test century in South Africa in 2011 in most difficult conditions or his 2 ODI innings versus Australia at Sharjah in 1998.Bradman only played in England and Australia,unlike Tendulkar who played all around the globe.Unlike Bradman,Tendulkar played in world cups,which is noteworthy,and was the most impactful batsmen.Tendulkar played and performed best against the top team of his day,Australia.Bradman played for the best team of his day.Overall by a whisker,I feel Tendulkar in a total package was the more complete or perfect batsmen.
I find it hard visualizing Bradman equal the prowess of Viv Richards or the defiance of Sunil Gavaskar against express pace.Nor would I back Bradman to equal the strike rate or lust for mammoth scores of Virendra Sehwag or Brian Lara.I feel in ODI cricket Viv would have overshadowed the Don.Still in all fairness Tendulkar may well have averaged below 70 in tests in Bradman's era.I strongly feel greats like Hobbs,Hammond and Headley would have come considerably closer to Bradman had they played in the modern era.I feel morally figures flatter Bradman's superiority to his peers with Stan Mcabe playing bodyline bowling better or Trumper,Headley and Hobbs overshadowing Bradman on wet pitches.Jack Hobbs;s centuries were compiled or runs amassed on considerably harder wickets even in test cricket.George Headley had to wage the battle of a lone crusader much more .Bradman had the support of Bill Ponsford,,Stan Mcabe,Lindsay Hasset,,Kippax and Brown who were all prolific.It must be noted that on wet pitches Bradman passed 50 only twice ,40 only twice and 15 only 4 times.In contrast Headley averaged 39.85 .If scaling scoring rates I still do not back Bradman to equal Viv Richards or Sehwag's strike rate in test cricket or Brian Lara at his best.Very hard visualizing the Don surpass Lara's unbeaten 153 in 1999 v Australia,Viv Richard's unbeaten 189 in an ODI against England Old Trafford in 1984. or Sunil Gavaskar's 96 on a broken pitch v Pakistan at Bangalore in 1987.
What set them both apart was temperament where Bradman had the edge by a whisker .Bradman had superior concentration but it was Tendulkar's mental teanacity that was more tested and expressed.I feel the Don and Sachin had talent more or less the same level.Both were champions of their eras and it may need pyschic powers to asess how each would have performed if the era was interchanged.It may well be that if inter changing the era in essence they would no more be a Bradman or a Tendulkar,even if spectacular.Afterall sport is so much about mental adjustment to specific conditions.It is significant that both did not score the qualitatively best test or ODI innings of all time and few who possessed more cricketing genius.It is pertinent that both Bradman and Tendulkar in their respective eras had batsmen who were more talented,better against express pace and better performers on bad wickets.Tendulkar would not surpass the artistry of Lara ,or the skill of Rahul Dravid on bad pitch just as Bradman would be overshadowed by Denis Compton for creativity and by George Headley on a bad wicket.
With a gun on my head if it was only considering Test Cricket Bradman wins my vote .However overall adding ODI cricket I give Tendulkar the nod by a whisker.Bradman may have won the statistical game against Tendulkar but not matched Tendulkar's longevity overall or ability to perform as outstandingly under pressure or in difficult conditions.To me the sum total or magnitude of Sachin's 100 International centuries and 30,000 international runs when considering pressure and era was by a whisker worth more than Bradman's mythical or unimaginable figures of ,6996 runs and 29 centuries scored in 52 innings at an average of 99.94.Bradman did not have half as great bowlers in his era as Sachin did be it the likes of Wasim,Mcgrath,Donald,Warne or Ambrose.I would apologize to all cricket fans if I erred in judgement by not respecting the figures which should make Bradman the inevitable champion of all.No mathematical asessment could elevate any great batsmen to the pedestal of Bradman.However if one critically sees the video films and thus get a more critical insight into the picture,it is touch and go.Such a debate has depths to the degree of the topic of how the Universe itself began.However I feel cricket is not all about statistics ,which is the beauty of the game.
Quoting late Hanif Mohammaed."“I am one of those fortune people who have seen Bradman and Tendulkar bat in my lifetime and in my opinion Tendulkar is the best batsman I have seen in my life.I am fortunate to have played in the Bradman era and also seen the greatness of Tendulkar and inevitably I am asked who is the greatest batsman of all time. Was it Bradman with his Test average of 99 or Tendulkar with his 100 international hundreds? Surely Bradman should get this title but it is always tough to make such comparisons and for me there is no comparison. Because it is safe to say that when you play more matches, your average does tend to get affected.There is no doubt about Bradman's class or caliber but Tendulkar stands out with his consistency, determination and run scoring feats in the last 25 years. He has shown what one can achieve with sheer hardwork and passion and he became the best by consistently performing in any format."
Quoting Richard Hadlee ""Well, Sir Donald Bradman has been regarded as the greatest player ever," Hadlee said. "He played just Test cricket. He hasn't played any other forms of the game. Clearly, that is understandable. But to see Sachin and other players actually adjust to different forms of the game and different conditions all around the world, even though the average is fractionally more than half of the Don's is in itself incredible. You got to respect it and write those performances.""
Quoting Zaheer Abbas"
"People keep calling him (Bradman) the greatest. I never saw him bat but I know, somehow, that he couldn't have been better than Tendulkar,"
"This boy [Tendulkar] has certainly gone a step ahead of the Don. Just look at the guy. I mean he has been playing for 21 years, has scored thousands of runs, dozens of centuries but is still hungry for more as a debutant. It's such an inspiring sight to see him go out there and still bat like he batted as a teenager."
BRADMAN ON BAD WICKETS
Of course, the only way to test this hypothesis, that the Don was merely mortal on a damp pitch, was to go through each of the match reports and determine which of his innings could be considered to have been made on rain-affected pitches. Although rain fell in a significant number of the Tests in which he played, not all necessarily affected the Don’s own innings – here is a listing of all of the Tests in which Bradman appeared which were affected by rain, together with details of the relevant innings:-
Date Opponent Inns Comments
29-Dec-1928 England 79 & 112 rain affected the pitch after Bradman’s innings
13-Jun-1930 England 8 & 131 wicket had improved by the 4th innings, so only his first innings was affected
11-Jun-1930 England 334 rain affected the pitch after Bradman’s innings
25-Jul-1930 England 14 innings affected by rain
16-Aug-1930 England 232 rain affected the pitch after Bradman’s innings
1-Jan-1931 West Indies 25 rain affected the pitch after Bradman’s innings
16-Jan-1931 West Indies 223 after rain overnight, Bradman did not add to his score
27-Feb-1931 West Indies 43 & 0 both innings affected by rain
27-Nov-1931 South Africa 226 rain affected the pitch after Bradman’s innings
18-Dec-1931 South Africa 112 rain affected the pitch after Bradman’s innings
8-Jun-1934 England 29 & 25 only Bradman’s second innings was rain-affected
22-Jun-1934 England 36 & 13 both innings affected by rain
20-Jul-1934 England 304 rain affected the pitch after Bradman’s innings
18-Aug-1934 England 244 & 77 after rain overnight, Bradman added one to his second-innings score
4-Dec-1936 England 38 & 0 only Bradman’s second innings was rain-affected (rain between fourth and fifth days)
18-Dec-1936 England 0 & 82 both innings affected by rain
1-Jan-1937 England 13 & 270 only Bradman’s first innings was rain-affected
24-Jun-1938 England 18 & 102 rain did not affect Australia’s innings
29-Nov-1946 England 187 rain did not affect Australia’s innings
28-Nov-1947 India 185 rain did not affect Australia’s innings
12-Dec-1947 India 13 innings affected by rain
1-Jan-1948 India 132 & 127 rain did not affect Australia’s innings
10-Jun-1948 England 138 & 0 rain did not affect Australia’s innings
8-Jul-1948 England 7 & 30* both innings affected by rain
14-Aug-1948 England 0 innings affected by rain
Note: during the Test of 22-Jul-1938, a match played in high humidity, Bradman would not appeal against the bad light as he did not want to have to bat next day on a potentially damp wicket. In the event it did not rain, so that match doesn’t appear in the list above.
Rain affected 25 of the 52 Tests in which Bradman played, i.e. almost half – the Don’s affected innings are shown in bold above, so we can now create two averages for Bradman, one for rain-affected innings and one for non-affected innings, i.e. more equivalent to playing today on covered wickets.
By my reckoning there were fifteen of Bradman’s Test innings which we can consider rain-affected and treat them separately – here are the adjusted averages:-
MATCHES INNINGS RUNS NO AVERAGE HS 100 50 0
11 15 284 1 20.29 82 0 1 4
41 65 6712 9 119.90 334 29 12 3
STATISTICS COMPILED FROM S.RAJESH OF CRICINFO ON BRADMAN
As we can see, there is a significant difference between his performances on rain-affected pitches as compared with those which were unaffected – not only was he merely mortal on those wickets, he was not even good; he made only one fifty in fifteen innings, or a rate of 6.7%, compared with 41 out of 65 on unaffected pitches, or a rate of 63.1%. Also, four of his seven ducks were achieved on damp pitches (including, of course, that most famous duck, in his final test innings).
Even among cricketing legends, Don Bradman's stature is one that no other player has come close to. His stats are so much better than anyone before, during or after his time, that it truly boggles the mind. Various arguments are offered about the changes in the game today to try and explain 99.94: fielding standards have improved, making it tougher for batsmen to score; captains are more agreeable to posting defensive fields and restricting the runs; the game is played across several countries as opposed to just a few during Bradman's time, making it more difficult to adjust to different conditions. While these statements may be true as independent facts, they do nothing to diminish the sheer genius of the Don, and the staggering magnitude of his achievements.
The most famous number, of course, is his Test average, which is 64% better than the next-best (with a cut-off of 2000 runs). That alone shows how much better Bradman has been than anyone who has ever played the game. Comparing the overall batting numbers during his time with the corresponding number today further illustrates this point: in the 20 years in which Bradman played his Test cricket, the overall batting average was 31.85; in the 21 years since Sachin Tendulkar's Test debut, the overall batting average in 845 Tests is 31.07. Restricting this only to top-order batsmen (batsmen in the top six of a line-up) also throws up similar numbers - 39.99 during Bradman's time (1928 to 1948), and 38.40 during Tendulkar's (November 1989 onwards).
Apart from Bradman and Graeme Pollock, West Indian George Headley and Herbert Sutcliffe of England were the only ones who scored more than 2000 Test runs at averages of more than 60.
Highest averages in Test cricket (Qual: 2000 runs)
Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s
Don Bradman 52 6996 99.94 29/ 13
Graeme Pollock 23 2256 60.97 7/ 11
George Headley 22 2190 60.83 10/ 5
Herbert Sutcliffe 54 4555 60.73 16/ 23
Ken Barrington 82 6806 58.67 20/ 35
Everton Weekes 48 4455 58.61 15/ 19
Wally Hammond 85 7249 58.45 22/ 24
Garry Sobers 93 8032 57.78 26/ 30
Among the batsmen who averaged 60, Pollock was the only one who came in after Bradman's time. Till the end of the 1940s, when Bradman finished his international career, Headley's 63.91 was the nearest anyone came to his 99.94 (though Headley's average fell away a bit later). Denis Compton, who was almost halfway through his Test career, averaged more than 60 at that point too, but his performances fell away thereafter and he finished averaging 50.06 from 78 matches.
Best Test averages before 1950 (Qual: 2000 runs)
Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s
Don Bradman 52 6996 99.94 29/ 13
George Headley 21 2173 63.91 10/ 5
Herbert Sutcliffe 54 4555 60.73 16/ 23
Denis Compton 36 3132 60.23 13/ 12
Dudley Nourse 26 2469 58.78 8/ 12
Wally Hammond 85 7249 58.45 22/ 24
Jack Hobbs 61 5410 56.94 15/ 28
Len Hutton 41 3788 56.53 11/ 17
Bradman's stats are even more remarkable because of the eight years he lost due to the War. His ill health meant he might not have played too much cricket during this period anyway, but when international cricket resumed in 1946, he was able to summon his best immediately: in his first innings he scored 187 in Brisbane against England, and followed that up with 234 in the next Test, in Sydney. He followed that up with four centuries in six innings against India in 1947-48, and then, in the famous tour of the Invincibles in 1948, scored an unforgettable 173 not out as Australia became the first team to successfully chase a 400-plus target in the fourth innings. In the 15 Tests he played after the War, Bradman averaged more than 105, and scored eight hundreds.
S.RAJESH ON SACHIN TENDULKAR IN CRICINFO
Tendulkar's Test career
Period Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s
Till Dec 1992 20 1085 37.41 4/ 4
Jan 1993 to Dec 1996 26 2021 59.44 6/ 11
Jan 1997 to Dec 2002 59 5705 63.38 21/ 20
Jan 2003 to Dec 2006 29 1779 44.47 4/ 7
Jan 2007 onwards 32 2857 58.30 12/ 12
Career 166 13,447 55.56 47/ 54
During that six-year period from January 1997 to December 2002, Tendulkar was unquestionably the best batsman in the world, handling pace in Australia and South Africa as effectively as he did spin in Sri Lanka. And then, of course, there was the epic 136 against Pakistan in Chennai which, unfortunately for him, wasn't enough to take India to victory against Pakistan.
In only 59 Tests he managed 21 centuries - an average of one every 2.81 matches. His average during this phase was well ahead of the second-placed Andy Flower, who led a string of batsmen who averaged in the md-50s.
Best Test batsmen between Jan 1997 and Dec 2002
Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s
Sachin Tendulkar 59 5705 63.38 21/ 20
Andy Flower 41 3464 56.78 9/ 18
Matthew Hayden 35 3054 56.55 12/ 10
Rahul Dravid 62 5178 55.08 14/ 25
Aravinda de Silva 38 3134 54.98 12/ 9
Inzamam-ul-Haq 49 3740 51.94 12/ 15
Jacques Kallis 63 4447 51.70 11/ 25
Ricky Ponting 57 3916 50.85 14/ 14
Unfortunately for Tendulkar, his best period coincided with one where India had a poor bowling attack, especially overseas, and a batting line-up that tended to crumble quite often on tours. In 69 Tests between the beginning of 1993 and the end of 2001, India won 23, but only three of those came abroad. During this period, Tendulkar contributed almost 20% of all runs scored off the bat by India, and more than 21% when they played in Australia, South Africa, England, New Zealand or the West Indies. From 2002 onwards, there were many more batsmen contributing - Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman weighed in consistently both home and away, which significantly reduced the dependence on Tendulkar: he has contributed only 14.30% of the team runs since 2002. With the bowling attack getting stronger as well, Tendulkar has been a part of 15 away Test wins during this period, and 32 wins in all in these eight-and-a-half years.
Tendulkar's contribution to the team
Period Tendulkar's runs Team runs Percentage
Till Dec 1992 1085 9122 11.89
Jan 1993 to Dec 2001 6334 32,048 19.76
Jan '93 to Dec '01, in Aus, SA, NZ, Eng, WI 1783 8368 21.31
Jan 2002 onwards 6028 42,140 14.30
Overall 13,477 83,310 16.18
A standout feature of Tendulkar's career has been his tendency to save his best for the greatest team of his generation. Few batsmen have consistently got the better of Australia over the last two decades, but Tendulkar is clearly one of them. His two stunning hundreds on his first tour to Australia announced him as a special talent, while his Boxing Day century in 1999 showed the gulf between him and the rest of the Indian batsmen. Later in his career some of the others - Laxman and Sehwag, especially - also showed their liking for the Australian attack, but Tendulkar is the one player who has sustained his performances against Australia for 20 years.
Highest Test averages against Australia since 1990
Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s
Sachin Tendulkar 29 2748 56.08 10/ 11
VVS Laxman 24 2204 55.10 6/ 10
Virender Sehwag 15 1483 51.13 3/ 7
Brian Lara 31 2856 51.00 9/ 11
Kevin Pietersen 12 1116 50.72 2/ 7
Richie Richardson 14 1084 49.27 4/ 4
Graham Thorpe 16 1235 45.74 3/ 8
Shivnarine Chanderpaul 17 1303 44.93 4/ 8
Tendulkar's Test average in Australia is marginally higher than his average against them at home, while six of his ten hundreds against them have come in Australia.
Best Test averages by overseas batsmen in Australia since 1990 (Qual: 750 runs)
Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s
Virender Sehwag 7 833 59.50 2/ 3
Sachin Tendulkar 16 1522 58.53 6/ 5
VVS Laxman 11 1081 54.05 4/ 3
Rahul Dravid 12 972 48.60 1/ 5
Jacques Kallis 12 915 45.75 2/ 5
Brian Lara 19 1469 41.97
4/ 4
The ODI master
Tendulkar has set some pretty awesome records in Tests, but some of his ODI stats are arguably more staggering. His career aggregate is currently more than 4000 ahead of his nearest competitor, and it'll certainly go up even further by the time he retires. As an opener, he has scored almost 15,000 runs at an average touching 49, which is the highest for openers who've scored at least 2500.
Like in Tests, Tendulkar has also raised his game against the Australians in one-day internationals, scoring more than 3000 runs against them - the only one to do so - at an average of more than 46.
Best ODI batsmen against Australia since 1990 (Qual: 750 runs)
Batsman ODIs Runs Average Strike rate 100s/ 50s
Aravinda de Silva 24 997 49.85 83.43 2/ 6
Hansie Cronje 39 1364 47.03 73.05 2/ 9
Sachin Tendulkar 67 3005 46.23 85.12 9/ 14
Lance Klusener 26 794 44.11 87.34 0/ 5
Kumar Sangakkara 28 1134 43.61 74.80 1/ 8
Jonty Rhodes 55 1610 40.25 77.92 0/ 10
Brian Lara 51 1858 39.53 76.58 3/ 15
Tendulkar has already stated that he will play the 2011 World Cup, and if his past record at the tournament is anything to go by, opposition bowlers will have plenty to worry about. He has already played five World Cups so far, averaging almost 58 in 36 matches. With the format guaranteeing each team at least six matches, Tendulkar has an excellent chance to become the first batsman to score 2000 World Cup runs.
Best performers in World Cups (Qual: 1000 runs)
Batsman Matches Runs Average Strike rate 100s/ 50s
Viv Richards 23 1013 63.31 85.05 3/ 5
Sachin Tendulkar 36 1796 57.93 88.21 4/ 13
Herschelle Gibbs 25 1067 56.15 87.38 2/ 8
Sourav Ganguly 21 1006 55.88 77.50 4/ 3
Mark Waugh 22 1004 52.84 83.73 4/ 4
Ricky Ponting 39 1537 48.03 81.06 4/ 6
Javed Miandad 33 1083 43.32 68.02 1/ 8
Brian Lara 34 1225 42.24 86.26 2/ 7
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