World's Best Batsman: Sachin tops Bradman says Australia poll

Sachin Tendulkar with Don Bradman

Iconic Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar is of superior quality as a batsman to the great Sir Don Bradman. That's what a poll conducted by an Australian newspaper has to say. The survey was conducted shortly after Tendulkar set a new world record, becoming the first batsman to score 50 centuries in Test matches, emerged runaway winner over Don Bradman in a poll commissioned by an Australian newspaper on who is the best batsman of all time.

Australian daily 'Sydney Morning Herald' held the exercise asking readers to vote for 'The greatest batsman ever: Badman or Tendulkar?" Sachin Tendulkar secured 67 per cent of the votes as against Bradman's 33 per cent. 20768 cricket fans voted.

Voters apparently took into account the fact that Tendulkar has been a prolific run-scorer in all three formats of the game and has faced a total of 10 countries in the cricketing arena. Bradman however only featured in Tests and played mainly against England.

"Bradman scored a total of 7000 runs of which 5000 plus were against one country. He played only against four countries in an era where not many matches were played in a year. He did not face too many world class bowlers, with the fastest being Larwood who bowled supposedly at 95 mph," another post said.

Some voters felt that Tendulkar has far outstripped Bradman on the basis of the sheer volume of runs he has scored. Plus, they felt that pressure in cricket today is far more palpable than in bygone eras.

"I am Australian. I love Don Bradman... But my unbiased thought is Sachin is greater, said another opinion. Sachin has more than 30,000 Runs. He is playing in an era where every ball is analyzed and taken note of. Yet 12 nations have not found the way to stop this man!" one fan said.

Those who consider Bradman better than Tendulkar felt the Australian legend played on uncovered pitches at a time when there was no helmet and yet he had a near hundred average.

"Bradman - no helmet, uncovered pitches, higher average, no advantage of a modern bat, more centuries per innings -enough said really. Tendulkar is the best in the modern game, but Bradman is hands down the greatest," one cricket fan commented.

Still others believed it was inappropriate to compare the two since they played in two vastly different eras. After all, Bradman was in his heyday when body-line bowling wasn't in vogue before England fast bowler Harold Larwood unsettled him with such in the 1932-33 Ashes series.

"Sounds foolish to compare players from two different eras. Numbers don't count much when the conditions are so different. Same debate has been on comparing Pele and Maradona," a comment said.

Bradman's career spanned 20 years from 1928 to 1948, while Tendulkar has already chalked up 21 years and still going strong. On another count, Tendulkar made his Test debut at the tender age of 16, whereas the Don was 20. Tendulkar scored his maiden Test century at 17 years of age, whereas Bradman was 20 when he notched up the first milestone.

However, the Don finished his career with a staggering average of 99.94, but Tendulkar's is presently on a mere 56.91. Tendulkar has played in 175 Tests to Bradman's 52 in his entire career. Sachin has 50 Test centuries and counting to the Don's 29, but a dozen times, the latter has made double centuries while the former has only reached the double-ton mark six times.

On an occasion before Bradman passed away, he observed from video sources that Tendulkar's batting style uncannily resembled his own. Was the Don reborn as Tendulkar?

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