Ricky Ponting v Sachin Tendulkar

[PhoenixFire]

The title says it all tbh, this was prompted by some of the discussion in the Richards V Tendulkar thread.

[silentstriker]

14, 13, 18, 2, 60, 9, 16, 0, 6, 0, 0, 11, 11, 12
-*cough*

I think he might very well turn this around later in the year, but until he does...eight tests over eight years with only one score over 20 is a bit of a trend.

[silentstriker]

And Ponting has been so good everywhere else and against everyone that I think he is clearly the best batsman since the turn of the century, so I just wanted to get that out there - better than Kallis, Dravid, and the rest of the people who have also been very good. In fact, I think he might very well be much better than everyone else this decade.

[Ikki]

Pretty much the same deal with the Lara poll. More consistent and better overall record.

[Isaac C]

Without a doubt Tendulkar is the best out of those three. He separates himself from them in the way that he can turn a match single handed Ely with his audacious stroke play and his timing is perfect. He's a different player to Ponting; Tendulkar has opened, gone at 3 and now bats at, with each position Tendulkar's world class batting follows. Not only that but Tendulkar has managed to score runs in every part of the world. Whether on the dusty tracks of India or the green April wickets in England his run scoring has been consistently sound.

[Neil Pickup]

This one poses an interesting question to me - are you comparing the two as batsmen at their peak, asking which man stands higher in the all-time pantheon of the game, wondering which of the two will leave a greater legacy once they've been dismissed for the final time, or simply deciding who would be first pick if they were lined up in the playground beside each other?

At present, Ricky's "India" moments hold a question mark above him, and Sachin holds more aces in the regard that he stands further apart from other Indian batsmen down the years: Gavaskar holds a candle, but no others - whilst Ricky has a number of names held up alongside (and above) him. Yet Sachin has (arguably) passed his peak whilst Ricky is playing at his own (current occasional form notwithstanding)...

Someone tell me which debate we're having, and I'll decide how I want to decide to sit on the fence.

[silentstriker]

Originally Posted by Neil Pickup

This one poses an interesting question to me - are you comparing the two as batsmen at their peak, asking which man stands higher in the all-time pantheon of the game, wondering which of the two will leave a greater legacy once they've been dismissed for the final time, or simply deciding who would be first pick if they were lined up in the playground beside each other?.

Haha, I suppose we're comparing the two in terms of higher in the all time stakes.

[PhoenixFire]

Basically, a combination of which is the better batsman and who has acheived more.

[Ikki]

Originally Posted by Neil Pickup

This one poses an interesting question to me - are you comparing the two as batsmen at their peak, asking which man stands higher in the all-time pantheon of the game, wondering which of the two will leave a greater legacy once they've been dismissed for the final time, or simply deciding who would be first pick if they were lined up in the playground beside each other?

At present, Ricky's "India" moments hold a question mark above him, and Sachin holds more aces in the regard that he stands further apart from other Indian batsmen down the years: Gavaskar holds a candle, but no others - whilst Ricky has a number of names held up alongside (and above) him. Yet Sachin has (arguably) passed his peak whilst Ricky is playing at his own (current occasional form notwithstanding)...

Someone tell me which debate we're having, and I'll decide how I want to decide to sit on the fence.

That's an interesting point Neil. I personally think about it in terms of "what they have done; what they haven't done; and what will they still do".

[silentstriker]

Originally Posted by Neil Pickup

Yet Sachin has (arguably) passed his peak

IMO that's not an arguable point. I think its pretty clear that he has.

[Neil Pickup]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

IMO that's not an arguable point. I think its pretty clear that he has.

I do too, but I was covering my arse in case someone wanted to attack that post by ranting about the CB Series finals hundreds instead of appreciating its philosophical beauty.

[Ikki]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

IMO that's not an arguable point. I think its pretty clear that he has.

Whilst Sachin will probably not reach the heights he did in the 90s, over the last 2 years he has shown he is out of his slump for mine. And if he continues batting this way then...really...he will be the best bar some absolute tonking from Ponting.

[R_D]

Tendulkar easily.

[silentstriker]

Originally Posted by Neil Pickup

I do too, but I was covering my arse in case someone wanted to attack that post by ranting about the CB Series finals hundreds instead of appreciating its philosophical beauty.

Well, he has shown some flashes in the ODI game from time to time, but much less so in Tests. ODI's always came more natural to him though, I think, so he can probably do better in those even when out of form. He doesn't hide the fact that he is a child of the ODI era, getting interested in cricket (from tennis) only when India won the world cup.

[GIMH]

I just can't help but vote for these irrelevant options...

I think Tendulkar will be remembered more fondly, prodigy etc, Ponting will end up with more tons, but who do I think is the better batsman? Or was, rather? Hmmm. If Ponting gets the runs (hehe ) in India then I think I'll go with that. The whole "never had to bat V Australia" thing will never wash with me, just look how good he's been against everyone else.

Never hated anyone so much as I did Ponting during the first couple of Tests of the last Ashes, he is marvellous