Former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee, who was in Mumbai on Tuesday, was drawn into the debate on Tendulkar and Lara's greatness.
Last week, South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis faced the same question and rated Lara as a better batsman than Tendulkar.
Asked to compare the two great batsmen, Lee said, "I have to say Sachin, because he has that aura when he comes out to bat."
"I have waged many a battle against him and was lucky enough to get him out more number of times than anyone else in the world. But I was also on the receiving end of many hundreds -- like the hundred (116) he got at Melbourne in 1999 and the many hundreds he has scored against us all around the world. When you play against Sachin you somehow (have to) find a way to give that little bit extra," said Lee.
"Interestingly Brett Lee is one of those fast bowlers who's had fair degree of success against India's legendary batsmen. Yet he picks Sachin. "There was some aura about him. I remember seeing him when I played my first test at MCG and I looked at him and was pinching myself if this was real. He was tiny and had a thick bat. I told to myself this is what dreams are made of. Its strange when you are playing against a man you have grown up seeing as a hero. I wanted my autograph book and get autograph and not bowl to him," Lee recalls.
"It's a huge opportunity and I had a lot of opportunities to play against him," added Lee.
Lee's assessment of Tendulkar was at variance with that of Kallis, who two days ago, was quoted as saying that Lara was the best batsman he has ever played against.
Kallis, one of the greatest all-rounders to have graced the game, however, described Tendulkar's achievements as incredible.
No comments:
Post a Comment