Who’s Better – Sachin or Sehwag?

A recent study ranking the best Test batsmen of all time has placed Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid above  Sachin Tendulkar. The list prepared by two economists is based on criteria like the batsman’s career average, value of runs scored to the team and his consistency.

The scientific analysis puts Sehwag at sixth ahead of Rahul Dravid (10th) and Sachin (11th) for their value of runs scored for the team. As far as consistency goes, Sachin follows Rahul at fifth position. Sehwag takes the 12th position in the category.

The list features only five Indian batsmen but what is more baffling is that Sachin Tendulkar has been ranked eleventh, much below than where he deserves to be. The fact that the late Sir Donald Bradman tops the list is understandable, but placing the God of Indian cricket below Sehwag for me is like injustice done to the legend, but my friend and colleague Bikash has a different take on it:

Bikash’s view:

Even though Sehwag has yet to achieve legendary status like Tendulkar, as a batsman, he has evolved faster than one would have thought, given his aggressive nature. The ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ has established himself as the first choice and most feared batsman in every form of the game. His aggression combined with new-found patience makes him a treat to watch in extreme pressure situations, too. There is a sense of caution when batsmen are approaching milestones (centuries), but such is his confidence that Viru tends to get there flamboyantly and sometimes, almost effortlessly.

The explosive batsman does not like to play by the rules and you just cannot plan for him. Viru may not have the respect for the game like traditionalists Tendulkar or Ponting, but he continuously defies what batsmen have been trying to do for ages. His ability to score on any wicket may not put him in the class of consistent performers, but his quick 40 runs are at times enough to pierce the opposition’s strategies. The freakishly awesome player lets the ball arrive in his area of dominance for the aerial route.

One may argue his lack of footwork and technique and all that, but Viru is an outlaw who believes in upping the ante always. His simple formula in attacking the bowlers’ mindset rather than hitting the ball makes the job a lot easier for him. Forget the technicalities – just sit back, enjoy and savour the no-holds-barred thrashing from this marauder. It makes life more exciting and, well, when Sehwag himself is happy to oblige, who are we to complain?

My view:

Sachin Tendulkar does not need be placed at the top in any random list to prove his greatness. And since when have economists become connoisseurs of the game? There is a thin line between criticism and cynicism – we have to give the master batsman his due and ignore lists that are made up of numbers and vague statistics. We don’t need numbers to see who is a batting great and who is not;  the irony of the study is that it places a Vinod Kambli at par with Sachin Tendulkar – this clearly shows that the list is phony and the makers of it have no clue about the game.

Sachin has been playing the game at the highest level for 21 years and churning out runs game after game for India consistently. How can we ignore his contribution to Indian cricket and his love and dedication to the game? Such is his hunger for runs that he still produces blistering innings and loves demolishing bowling attacks in whatever form of the game.

His feats are prodigious, from Shoaib Akhtar to Shane Warne; he has tamed every bowler at his peak, and scored as many runs abroad as in India.

Spin wizard Shane Warne in his list of 50 greatest cricketers, has Tendulkar at the top. In his own words:

“You have to watch India in India truly to appreciate the pressure that Sachin Tendulkar is under every time he bats. Outside grounds, people wait until he goes in before paying to enter. They seem to want a wicket to fall even though it is their own side that will suffer. This is cricket as Sachin has known it since the age of 16. He grew up under incredible weight of expectation and never buckled once – not under poor umpiring decisions or anything else. I place him very slightly ahead of Lara because I found him slightly tougher mentally.”

Warne’s observation is perfect, as Sachin has been for two decades carrying the hopes of an entire nation on his shoulders every time he goes out to bat. What makes Sachin truly great is how he handles expectations – any other batsman would have easily crumbled under its weight. Playing the game comes naturally to Sachin as he loves to play and that’s the secret that keeps him going on and on.

So comparing Sehwag to Sachin would amount to equating chalk and cheese. The economists with their ‘scientific’ analysis aside, it has been a pleasure and privilege to be able to watch them both play.

And Sachin will remain the yardstick for generations of cricket to come, wherever he’s placed in odious lists.