I feel Sachin is a better player than Bradman. The Stats below Proves my stand.
1.Pressure Handled
Tendulkar played under huge pressure.More than a billion people expecting you to perform in each and every match. He is having fans all over the world unlike Bradman whom is known by very few people compared to sachin.To perform consistently well for 17 years as per expectation is just Brilliant!!! Bradman never had such pressure in his whole career apart from bodyline and in his last innings against England.And just look what pressure can do.His average which usually over 100 in maxium series came down to just 52 in bodyline.When the whole world was watching him to score just 4 runs in his last innings he couldn't even score 4 runs..??? This is what pressure is all about..And Tendulkar goes through such pressure in each every match.Even matches like against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe..With one failure public media everyone in India start criticising the Greats of Indian cricket... Still he is performing consistently..Isn't this amazing.
2.Number of Matches
Bradman played 52 tests in 20 years whereas Sachin played 132 test in 17 years and more than 400 ODI s as if now and still he is playing.In Bradman's time not many matches played.Players easily got 7-8 days of gap in between 2 tests of a series.In one year only 4-5 tests played...There were no ONEDAY matches.Nowdays there are too much of ODI's.Once a series starts..you won't get any chance for rest..5 ODI completes in 12-13days and as soon as ODI series over Test series starts..in between test only 3 days of gap..No rest for players..And they have to play each test. and ODI. In Bradman's times you could get 7-8 days for rest... and total numbers of matches 4-5..and look at today's cricket.. Atleast 10 Test and 30 ODI each year..and in ODI's u can't play cricket wid peace at all..After every ball u have to look to the score board..have to accelerate anytime in the innings many times from the begining...Pressure wid no rest!!
3.Position of Batting
Bradman usually came at no.3 or no.4 and mostly when the score were 176 for 1 or 217 for 2..No pressure!! Just play the natural game and dominate the bowling.Sachin usually came at no.4 and ..Mostly when India lost both the openers.and the scoreboard looks like 20-2!!! And then this best batsman of all time rescue the team.In OneDay Sachin opens and start blazing guns from the begining and then steady in middle overs and again all guns blazing in last 10 overs!!
4.Opposition
Bradman played mostly against England and he got used to that bowling thats why scored over 5000 runs wid an average of around 92.One series against each minnows[India,SouthAfrica and WestIndies were new in cricket that time] and scored heavily against them.Never played in Indian Sub-Continent against Indian spinners.Playing at Indian pitches is never been easy for any batsman.Nowdays Australian thinks Ricky Ponting is the best batsman after Bradman from Australia.Look his record in India, just 14!! Sachin's average in Australia is above 54.Ponting's average in England is just 42 and Sachin's average in England is above 70..well Ricky Ponting is another issue. A batsman is perfect when he scores against really class bowlings.Excluding Larwood Bradman never played any quality bowlers.Whereas Sachin played against Ambrose-Walsh-Bishop,Wasim-Waqar-Akhtar,McGrath-Lee-Gilespie,Donald-Pollock,Warne-Murli and many more.Played not well on own wicket but also played well at all pitches all over the worlds.Just see the class of fielding nowdays,Rhodes,Ponting,Gibbs..The standard of fielding is far more better than it was in that time!!!
Conclusion
I just can't accept Bradman as the all time best batsman just because his stunning average of 99.94. Cricket is not game of only averages..There are many other things should be consider like the standard of playing cricket.Nowdays so much of technology used so that you can take out weak areas of a particular player.The standard of fielding is just too gud.The Media hype and pressure is so much.Lots of cricket played..scoring on every part of the world.Sachin not only play role in batting but also in many other areas like Sachin can spin the bowl like Shane Warne Sachin never affraid of taking responsibilties.Tendulkar took the ball from Azhar and Kapil in Hero Cup Semifinal and bowled the last over and not led the SouthAfrica to score 6 runs to win the match.Just imagine if those runs were scored.Public and Media of India pheewww... But still then Sachin ready to take other burdens and pressure on themseleves...Tendulkar one of the finest outfielder and his throws from boudries always flat and just over the stumps..
this is how I think.I love watching Sachin playing . plays backfoot punch and plays long off drive, plays upper cut over the thirdman, plays pull shot. plays beautiful straight drive on his toes , plays classical front foot cover drive..ummm yummmmy to watch!!!
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