Tendulkar vs Ponting - who will win the battle of 100's?

[Ikki]

Look not saying its impossible for Ponting to keep going like he has been doing in the past 2 years, but this is exactly what people were saying about Tendulkar in 1996-98. "If he keeps this up, he'll have every batting record in world cricket"

Age catches up to everyone.

I reckon a few years from now similar things may be said about Pietersen.

Well, you're essentially agreeing with me there in that it is a big IF. I think he will, why? I cannot properly gauge, just a feeling.

 

[sohummisra]

I'd be interested to see where you found this, especially seeing as Ponting continually tries to evade talk about statistics in relation to his own game....

He supposedly made this comment during his visit to India last week. I'll see if I can dig up a source on it.

 

[sohummisra]

He supposedly made this comment during his visit to India last week. I'll see if I can dig up a source on it.

This is the interview in question. Seems like the headline I read twisted Ponting's words around a bit.

 

[Poker Boy]

ATM you have to say no contest. Ponting is streets ahead on current from and two years younger as well. Mind you if Sachin rediscovers his form and we bowl like we did on occaisons against the Windies Sachin might stetch his lead...

 

[PhoenixFire]

Tendulkar at his very best, was a better than Ponting now (at his best), and he couldn't keep it up. As Jono said, everyone thought Tendulkar would have made 50 Test 100s by now, because of his blistering form, but he has clearly slowed down. The same will happen with Ponting imo.

 

[Ikki]

If so, Ponting is slightly better than what Sachin was at the same stage in his career.

 

[adharcric]

If so, Ponting is slightly better than what Sachin was at the same stage in his career.

If so? How did you infer that from PF's post?

 

[Ikki]

If so? How did you infer that from PF's post?

PF said that when Sachin was going strong - which was better than Ponting's streak - a lot of people predicted him to continue and score massively more. I was simply referring that in that case, Ponting was slightly ahead in about the same amount of test matches. I guess I am questioning how good Sachin was actually perceived to be at the time.

 

[Sanz]

PF said that when Sachin was going strong - which was better than Ponting's streak - a lot of people predicted him to continue and score massively more. I was simply referring that in that case, Ponting was slightly ahead in about the same amount of test matches. I guess I am questioning how good Sachin was actually perceived to be at the time.

Except that Tendulkar was Facing Mcgrath, Wasim, Waqar, Shoaib, Saqlain, Ambrose Warne, Murali, Donald etc. Hope you notice the diff. Incase you missed, Sachin was Good, One of the best ever.

 

[iamdavid]

I think alot of Tendulkars decline can be blamed on mental aspects rather than a huge decline in his physical skills, remember he made his debut at 16...so although he's only 34 he's been playing international cricket, travelling, living out of a suitcase, being under the intense media spotlight, etc for aslong as most international cricketers have at 38-40 years old. He's never really known anything other than international cricket, he was thrust into the limelight before he'd finished school and grew up as a god-like figure under the gaze of millions, surely that has to grind him down sooner or later. He had 14 very good years of international cricket where he achieved everything that could have been expected of him. One has to ask what more he has to achieve in the game ? He's broken/will break just about every batting record in the book and carried the hopes of a nation for more than a decade. I spose he would be playing on in the hope of more consistent performances from his team but that is unlikely to happen during the remainder of his carear.

Have to agree with Richard on Tendulkars heyday being more noteworthy than Pontings, on the basis of the quality of attacks faced. Tendulkar was at his peak at a time when bowling around the globe was still pretty fearsome, Ambrose, Walsh, Donald, Pollock (at his peak), Wasim, Waqar, McGrath, Warne, Murali, Gillespie etc etc...Tendulkar has matchwinning performances to his name against all of them....Pontings done superbly but who are the bowlers he has carved a name for himself against ? Shoaib (inconsistent)...Murali (cant take anything away from that)..Ntini (inconsistent)...Sami (lol)...Zaheer Khan...Pollock (a shadow of the test bowler he once was)...Merv Dillon...Andy Caddick....Harmison (who's had about 10 wonderful tests throught his carear and been trash the rest) etc etc......Clearly stacks up very well in Tendulkars favour...not to take too much away from Ponting as he has been brilliant and chances are he would still have done well if he'd been in this vein of form and maturity in the late 90's...just not as well as he's doing nowdays.

 

[SightForTheGods]

I think alot of Tendulkars decline can be blamed on mental aspects rather than a huge decline in his physical skills, remember he made his debut at 16...so although he's only 34 he's been playing international cricket, travelling, living out of a suitcase, being under the intense media spotlight, etc for aslong as most international cricketers have at 38-40 years old. He's never really known anything other than international cricket, he was thrust into the limelight before he'd finished school and grew up as a god-like figure under the gaze of millions, surely that has to grind him down sooner or later. He had 14 very good years of international cricket where he achieved everything that could have been expected of him. One has to ask what more he has to achieve in the game ? He's broken/will break just about every batting record in the book and carried the hopes of a nation for more than a decade. I spose he would be playing on in the hope of more consistent performances from his team but that is unlikely to happen during the remainder of his carear.

Have to agree with Richard on Tendulkars heyday being more noteworthy than Pontings, on the basis of the quality of attacks faced. Tendulkar was at his peak at a time when bowling around the globe was still pretty fearsome, Ambrose, Walsh, Donald, Pollock (at his peak), Wasim, Waqar, McGrath, Warne, Murali, Gillespie etc etc...Tendulkar has matchwinning performances to his name against all of them....Pontings done superbly but who are the bowlers he has carved a name for himself against ? Shoaib (inconsistent)...Murali (cant take anything away from that)..Ntini (inconsistent)...Sami (lol)...Zaheer Khan...Pollock (a shadow of the test bowler he once was)...Merv Dillon...Andy Caddick....Harmison (who's had about 10 wonderful tests throught his carear and been trash the rest) etc etc......Clearly stacks up very well in Tendulkars favour...not to take too much away from Ponting as he has been brilliant and chances are he would still have done well if he'd been in this vein of form and maturity in the late 90's...just not as well as he's doing nowdays.

I agree. Well said.

 

[Ikki]

Except that Tendulkar was Facing Mcgrath, Wasim, Waqar, Shoaib, Saqlain, Ambrose Warne, Murali, Donald etc. Hope you notice the diff. Incase you missed, Sachin was Good, One of the best ever.

Already been through this. Ambrose and Walsh were towards the ends of their careers and he didn't play them much; McGrath, Warne and Murali were shyte at the start of theirs. He also didn't fare too well against Donald or S.Africa - so regardless of him playing them, he didn't do well. The same goes for his record in Pakistan.

 

[Richard]

Already been through this. Ambrose and Walsh were towards the ends of their careers and he didn't play them much

So? They were both still magnificent bowlers even right at the very end of their careers. He faced them, meanwhile, in 1994\95 (no Ambrose that series, of course) and 1997, which is hardly towards the end in any case.

McGrath, Warne and Murali were shyte at the start of theirs.

Murali was hardly at the start of his career in 1997; nor McGrath and Warne in any of 1997\98 (no McGrath that series of course), 1999\2000 or 2000\01.

He also didn't fare too well against Donald or S.Africa - so regardless of him playing them, he didn't do well.

He didn't fare as well against them as he did against others, but an average of 38 is hardly out-and-out poor.

The same goes for his record in Pakistan.

In a whole 1 series?

And those are hardly the only decent bowlers he faced; he scored runs against some good English and Kiwi bowlers too.

 

[andmark]

Punter.

 

[PhoenixFire]

I've come to love Ponting over the course of the last few years. When he's in full flow, there is no better batsman, bar Pietersen or Mohammed Yousuf that I'd rather watch, and if I could any player from history, then I'd be Ponting. He makes everything look so simple and easy, as well as being an incredibly technique based player, that makes him look so good.

 

[Richard]

Get some bloody videos of Aravinda de Silva, lad!

 

[Johnners]

This is the interview in question. Seems like the headline I read twisted Ponting's words around a bit.

Thanks

 

[Sanz]

Already been through this. Ambrose and Walsh were towards the ends of their careers and he didn't play them much; McGrath, Warne and Murali were shyte at the start of theirs. He also didn't fare too well against Donald or S.Africa - so regardless of him playing them, he didn't do well. The same goes for his record in Pakistan.

Ambrose's debut = 1988
Tendulkar's Debut = 1989

Enuff Said.

 

[R_D]

is it bit too much of a coincidence to be seeing so many players averaging in 50's this decade... Avg 50 in your career was hallmark of great batsman but that clearly isn't the case now days. The pitches beingflat as anything and the bowlers being the worst lot ever born. Its great to be batsman. Tough on punter but hard to give him muchcredit as Tendulkar despite him having similar figures as Tendulkar at same stage... not sure might even have better figures than him. Its seems too much of conicidence that he started belting the daylight out of attacks soon as the pitches started gradually getting flatter and bowling always was on decline.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Ambrose's debut = 1988
Tendulkar's Debut = 1989

Enuff Said.

For some reason, I always thought Ambrose debuted a good 3 or 4 years before that.