Flawed, but eternally charming

"To do easily what is difficult for others is the mark of talent. To do what is impossible for talent is the mark of genius.":- Henri Frederic Amiel

Genius can be at once highly endearing, and yet incomprehensible. I have often wondered what constitutes genius and what goes on to elevate geniuses beyond the reach of talented mortals. Geniuses can soar to insurmountable heights, and plummet to the lowest depths the next day. They are enigmatic and extraordinary, yet most ordinary at other times. They are capable of enthralling the masses and just as capable of leaving them distraught. Undoubtedly, the most alluring aspect of geniuses is not their gifted ability and skill but the fact that they are inherently flawed.

The clear difference between talent and genius is manifested best in sport. While there have been many exceptionally talented, level headed sportsmen who retained focus and kept their minds on the job, there have been very few sportsmen who can be classified as geniuses. Success inevitably follows dedication as in the case of the hard working and talented individual. But an air of predictability always shrouds their performances, rendering them less attractive than the utterly random show of geniuses. Life itself is chaotic and mysterious, with very little known about what might transpire next. Part of the romantic appeal of geniuses lies in the fact that their every action mimics life's vagaries. Their divine gifts are woven seamlessly around mortal weaknesses and together, they create an entertaining personality who cannot fail to charm. The myriad connections among various aspects of their lives are never clear and the line that aims to separate their professional and personal lives is inevitably blurred.





Geniuses evoke extreme views and polarise opinion like none other. While women, drugs and alcohol are man's major weaknesses, they are much more formidable obstacles in the lives of geniuses. George Best and Diego Maradona were gifted with the most sublime skills and unparalleled ability and could conjure up magic on a football field with seemingly no effort. Best's brilliant spell at Manchester United and Maradona's glittering career were interspersed with episodes of drug abuse, allegations of affairs and sporadic incidents of indiscipline and misbehaviour. While it can be argued that these greats should have been more responsible and focused and not let success get to their heads, their erratic moments can often be attributed to an intrinsic urge to regain their lost privacy and personal space. The infiltration of their personal lives causes them to break free and seek some solace. Shane Warne and Brian Lara are two other classic examples of geniuses who never really came to grips with the stardom and adulation they encountered at an early age. While Warne battled the media and his traumatic personal life, Lara's fights were often with himself. He was almost always a slave to his mind, but on the rare occasions when he did pull himself up to wrest control, there was no better batsmen in cricket. Peter Roebuck beautifully captures the essence of genius "Lara has soared near the sun, while Tendulkar has been content to bask in its glory". Genius can reach well beyond the talented, but cannot quite remain there for long.





Carl Jung said "Sometimes, indeed, there is such a discrepancy between the genius and his human qualities that one has to ask oneself whether a little less talent might not have been better." Geniuses can be admired and idolised, but should never be imitated. They may neither be the most likable nor the most approachable, but they never were meant to be. Their gifts and traits are unique; less talent and better qualities definitely makes them more mortal and less genius.

The battle with their personal lives and weaknesses often leaves geniuses jaded and off colour. They almost surely pull themselves back with renewed vigour and determination, but discover that traits such as focus, concentration and dedication which are so easy to summon for most men are often in short supply for geniuses. More than all the amazing achievements of these legends, it is the continuous struggle to regain control of their life, often a losing battle, that causes millions to admire these men. It is not the spectacular aspects of genius, but the mortal struggles symbolic of daily life that constitute their eternal charm.

Great ODI knocks in chases

Following Abdul Razzaq’s spectacular unbeaten 109 which helped Pakistan snatch an unlikely victory against South Africa in the second ODI, I decided to look back at eleven of the finest individual batting performances in ODI chases post 1990. Since 1990, the game has witnessed stunning assaults by Adam Gilchrist and Sanath Jayasuriya which have made a mockery of tricky targets, brilliant recoveries from hopeless situations orchestrated by Michael Bevan and the solo efforts of Sachin Tendulkar in defeats. Here’s my selection of eleven of the best knocks in chases.

1. Brian Lara- 153 v Pakistan, Champions trophy final, Sharjah 1993: Basit Ali had earlier smashed the West Indies bowling in a 79 ball 127 and helped Pakistan set a huge target of 285 in the final. Brian Lara though, had come into the series in a rich vein of form and looked solid right from the outset. He treated a quality bowling attack with disdain scoring 153 with 21 boundaries. His superbly paced knock enabled the West Indies to overhaul the Pakistan total with ease.

2. Michael Bevan – 78* v West Indies at Sydney 1996: Australia had comprehensively outplayed West Indies in the Tests and the earlier matches in the tri series. On this occasion though, West Indies who were defending just 173, reduced Australia to 38 for 6 with Curtly Ambrose and Ottis Gibson bowling superbly. The score soon became 74/7 when Ian Healy fell. Michael Bevan, in the company of Paul Reiffel took Australia to within 17 runs of victory before Reiffel fell. When Shane Warne was run out by Roger Harper in the final over, seven runs were required. It all came down to four required off one delivery. Bevan, calm as ever, swung Harper’s final ball straight down the ground for four to establish himself as one of the game’s best finishers.

3. Sachin Tendulkar- 143 v Australia Sharjah 1998: India, having started well in the tournament, faltered in the next two games and were fighting for a place in the final. Australia amassed 284 after a Michael Bevan century. India required 254 to qualify for the final against Australia ahead of New Zealand. Despite very little support, Sachin Tendulkar single handedly took on the Australian bowling and brought India close to the mark. But a sand storm passing the ground disrupted play and the target was altered to 237 in 46 overs. Tendulkar guided India past the score in the process scoring a superb century. He had his mind set not merely on qualifying, but on winning the match. Tendulkar proceeded to launch a stunning counter attack, but after he was dismissed for 143, India settled for a final berth. Two days later, on his birthday, Tendulkar scored a superb 134 to win the final.

4. Steve Waugh -120* v South Africa, Super Six match, Headlingley 1999 WC: Australia had started the 1999 World Cup disastrously losing to Pakistan and New Zealand. They had to win every game in order to make the semi finals, but were reeling at 48/3 facing a huge total of 271 in the final Super Six game against South Africa. Dropped by Herschelle Gibbs early in his innings, Steve Waugh proceeded to play one of the finest ODI knocks by a captain. He shared crucial partnerships with Ricky Ponting, Michael Bevan and Tom Moody to take Australia past the finish line. The crucial win meant that Australia progressed to the final following a tie in the semi final between the same two teams.

5. Michael Bevan:102* v New Zealand, VB Series, Melbourne 2002: Australia had lost their first three matches against New Zealand and were in deep trouble in the final game chasing New Zealand’s 245. Michael Bevan walked in at 53 for 4 and the score soon became 82 for 6 when Ian Harvey was dismissed. Shane Warne and Brett Lee provided crucial support as Bevan continued to pick the gaps regularly. He scored just seven boundaries in his innings, but manoeuvred the chase superbly to lead Australia to a two wicket win. Bevan, in the company of Andy Bichel, repeated the heroics in the 2003 World Cup against England and New Zealand.

6. Sachin Tendulkar: 98 v Pakistan, Super Six match, World Cup 2003, Centurion: India had never lost to Pakistan in World Cup matches and the match up was a must win for Pakistan. Saeed Anwar’s composed century led Pakistan to 273, a very competitive total considering the quality bowling attack they possessed. Tendulkar, who confessed to have not being able to sleep for days leading up to the game, took first strike and produced a special performance. He took apart Shoaib Akthar in the second over of the game hitting him for 18 runs including a memorable upper cut for six over point. Tendulkar was eventually dismissed for 98 leaving India to get less than 100 runs in over 20 overs. Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh comfortably sealed the win which left Pakistan on the brink of elimination.

7. Adam Gilchrist: 122 v Sri Lanka, VB Series final, 2005-06: Sri Lanka pulled of a surprise by winning the first final of the VB Series. A remarkable recovery by Australia to post a massive match winning 368 after being 10 for 3 in the second final meant a third final was to be played. Chasing a competitive target of 267, Adam Gilchrist proceeded to destroy the Sri Lankan attack with a display of clean striking. He hit 13 fours and four sixes in his 122 off just 91 balls to lead Australia to victory in the VB series final. Gilchrist did it again to Sri Lanka a year later, when he cracked a brilliant 149 to win the World Cup final.

8. Herschelle Gibbs: 175 v Australia, Johannesburg, 2006: Australia had recovered from a 2-0 deficit to level the series at 2-2 before the final match at the Wanderers. A spectacular 164 from Ricky Ponting led Australia to a massive 434 which seemed well beyond reach after they lost Boeta Dippenaar early in the chase. However Graeme Smith made an aggressive 90 and set the tone for what was to follow. Herschelle Gibbs played a tremendous knock of 175 with 21 fours and seven sixes to lead South Africa’s improbable chase. Despite Gibbs’ dismissal with over 130 runs needed, the lower middle order contributed to take South Africa close. Mark Boucher, who made a vital 50, scored the winning runs off the penultimate ball from Brett Lee to seal an extraordinary win.

9. Sachin Tendulkar: 175 v Australia, Hyderabad, 2009: Tendulkar has made 12 centuries in ODI defeats, but none were better than his sublime 175 at Hyderabad. Faced with a huge total of 350, Tendulkar played with the same freedom and control that characterised his batting in the late 1990s. Wickets fell all around him, but his partnership with Suresh Raina took India to the doorstep of victory. With 19 runs required off 18 balls, Tendulkar fell caught at short fine leg, trying to play a lap sweep. His dismissal triggered an all too familiar Indian collapse with the last three wickets going down for 15 runs. Despite the best efforts of Tendulkar, India went on to lose the match by three runs.

10. Shahid Afridi: 109 v Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2010: Shahid Afridi walked in with Pakistan in deep trouble at 32 for 4 chasing Sri Lanka’s 242. Not sacrificing his aggressive approach, Afridi played a lone hand scoring 109 off just 76 balls with eight fours and seven sixes. He received very little support throughout his knock and only Umar AKmal and Abdul Razzaq contributed meaningfully. When Afridi fell in the 41st over, only 38 runs with three wickets in hand. But the Pakistani lower order collapsed leaving Sri Lanka victorious by 16 runs.

11. Abdul Razzaq: 109 v South Africa, 2010: Colin Ingram’s maiden century lifted South Africa to a challenging 286. It appeared to be all over for Pakistan when Shahid Afridi fell in the 30th over with over 150 runs required. Abdul Razzaq had other ideas though as he smashed ten sixes during his 109 in the process scoring 59 of the last 61 runs to seal a scarcely believable win for Pakistan.

Memories I will carry...

Back to writing after a long hiatus..it's been very frustrating not being able to write over the last few months..not that work has been hectic, I assume it's just sheer laziness ...hopefully this is a start of a phase of some regular writing..
Growing up in the 1990s was incredible fun especially with all the sports doing the rounds..regularly subscribing to Sportstar and collecting all the posters while also getting my hands on Wisden and other magazines was the best part..The 1990s and early witnessed some of the greatest sporting achievements and the memories and details of the cricket, tennis and football matches I watched are still strongly ingrained in my mind..I have been working on an international cricket ratings system and in the course of this wonderful exercise, i have revisited scorecards and matches from the last 30-40 years...Recently I decided to dig up the attic at home to find all the old magazines and books I had collected and thought ill write a bit about all the treasured sporting moments, the memories of which I will carry to my end...and i sure hope reading these brings back fond memories to all u guys who enjoyed the best sports action through the 1990s..

1. WC 1992: Introduced to cricket and sports in general around 1990-91, the 1992 WC was the first major cricketing event which as a school going kid, I gobbled up happily..The India Pak game, Miandad's antics, the semi final goof up, Wasim Akram's special deliveries and most of all Jonty Rhodes flying to run Inzamam-ul-Haq out..

2. WI tour of Australia 1992-93: By this time, I was already quite a serious cricket watching kid..I vividly remember Brian Lara's 277, Warne's spell at the MCG and Curtly Ambrose wrecking havoc at the WACA (spell of 7/1). Best of all was the classic 1 run win at Adelaide, crestfallen Tim May and McDermott walk back after a superb fight back...

3. Ashes 1993: A one sided contest, made memorable by one man Shane Warne who delivered the 'ball of the century' to a puzzled Mike Gatting at Old Trafford..Gooch handling the ball for 133, Atherton run out 99, Peter Such on debut and the Texaco trophy with Robin Smith scoring 167 only to see the Aussies chasing the score with ease...

4. West Indies in India 1994: India won the first test, Jimmy Adams held them up in Nagpur and then finally in Mohali, Adams and Lara played superbly..Walsh's ball to injure Manoj prabhakar, huge win for WI...

5. Ambrose killing England at Trinidad- Curtly Ambrose loved England..this occasion he brought them down on their knees while defending a low score..first ball nailed Atherton, bowled Smith and Thorpe and his 6/24 bowled them out for 46 and the Hindu headline was Ambrose breaks England's back and heart!

6. Brian Lara's record breaking year: 1994- Lara's annus mirabilis- his 375 in Antigua watched it ball by ball, the pull off Chris Lewis to seal the record and being embraced by the legendary Sobers, the 501* against Durham in less than 2-3 weeks..lara had become my favourite player and still remains..

7.Aus conquer the Caribbean 1995- lara and Hooper leading a stunning fightback in the first test, steve waugh taking a controversial catch to dismiss lara, the low scoring classic in the 3rd test, Waugh's eyeball to eyeball with Ambrose, his magnificent 200 to go with Mark waugh's 126 setting up a superb series win...

8. The 1996 WC: The event that changed cricket in India, especially the television for sure...extraordinary coverage and previews..remember all the magazines, cut outs, posters and quizzes..memories include Tendulkar's classic at Bombay in a losing cause against Australia after Mark Waugh's superb 126, kenya's shock upset over WI at Pune, India Pakistan clash in bangalore mar 9 1996,cant ever forget Sohail and Prasad..Lara's 111 to send favourites SA out and the Waugh twins combining to deny NZ at Madras after Harris and Germon helped post a huge score..
Two very different semis..Calcutta witnessed rioting after India's inexplicable collapse, De Silva's superb cameo 66 off 47 balls and Sachin Tendulkar's 65 stood out in a match with a forgettable ending..The other semis saw Australia recover from 15/4 with Stuart law and Michael bevan helping them to 207 and WI made a hash of the chase after some poor decisions and bad shot making..eventually Richie Richardson was left high and dry after Walsh went for a silly hoick off Fleming and I cried all night...!..the finals was great too with de silva again proving his class...

9.India's capitulation at Barbados: Chasing 120, India were ambushed for 81 by Ambrose, Bishop and Rose..recall the beauty to Dravid by Rose, Lara catching tendulkar off Bishop and Ambrose bowling Azhar and ganguly...Laxman top scored with 19..wut a game!

10. Australia tour of South Africa 1997- Greg Blewett's 214 and Steve Waugh setting up a monster score in Jo'burg and Mark Waugh's sublime knock guiding Australia to a series win. Top quality test series..

11. Ashes 1997- England started off superbly bowling Australia out for 118 and winning comfortably but then Lord's happened with mcgrath's 8/38 and England escaping courtesy the weather but not for long. The Aussies were back and crushed England in the remaining tests..England's solace was in the fact that they won ODI series 3-0, with the new star Ben Hollioake slamming 63 off 48 (he died few yrs later in a car crash sadly)...

12. Tendulkar takes on Warne- madras 1998- Warne nailed tendulkar in the first innings caught in the slips..Australia had a lead but in the 2nd innings, tendulkar hit a superb 155 nullifying Warne's round the wicket tactics and had the wood on the leg spinning great for the next 2-3 years..
sharjah 1998- part 2 of tendulkar's dominance over Warne- exceptional 143 to take India to the final and then on Apr 24 (his bday), another masterly century (134) to lead India to a win single handedely in the coca cola cup.

13. Australia in WI 1999- Lara's team was humiliated in the first test following the 5-0 loss to SA and it was time to stand up.. 34/4 chasing 256 in the 2nd test..lara produced a supreme 213 and won the match, in the next chasing an almost impossible 308, he produced a masterclass 153* to seal an incredible win..and in the final test a rapid 100 off 84 but the aussies managed to even the series..one man had stood up against the World's best..the odi series ended 3-3 too.

14. World Cup 1999- Pakistan pipped Aus in a thriller in the group stages by 10 runs, Mcgrath bowled Lara with a beauty at Old trafford during his 5/14 to win the game, against India he got Tendulkar and Dravid in his first over ending the contest.. Aus looked to be in all sorts of trouble against SA at Headingley until Steve Waugh produced a stunning 120* to lead his team to the semis and in the semis against SA at Edgbaston, Shane Warne produced a stunning display of leg spin bowling, his ball to dismiss Gibbs reminiscent of the one to Gatting and in a nail biting encounter, Allan Donald was run out and the match ended in a tie throwing SA out..The final was one sided with Aus crushing Pak..

15. Pak tour of India and Asian test championship- In Jan Feb 1999, the three test matches at Chennai, Delhi and Calcutta were some of the best played..Tendulkar's brilliant yet tragic 136 in India's heartbreaking loss at Chennai, Anil Kumble's record 10/74 at Delhi and Shoaib Akthar's ultra quick deliveries to get rid of Dravid and Tendulkar at Eden Gardens, the crowd riot again..unpleasant end to a classic tour..

16. Pakistan and India tour Australia 1999-2000: Pakistan fought superbly in the 2nd test at hobart and at 126/5 it seemed curtains for Aus, but Adam Gilchrist in his 2nd test (81 in his 1st) made a stunning 149* off 163 balls and supported by langer (126), he helped chase down a massive 369 with ease...India were crushed in the three tests and only two fantastic innings by Tendulkar (116) and Laxman (167) stood out..agarkar's duck sequence and the controversial dismissal of tendulkar added to the drama..

might have missed many more...but ya..that's for a book not a blog...guess u guys can add to the list with many others (bevan last ball 4, atherton donald, hero cup, titan cup and many more )..look fwd to ur comments!

cheers

A regret that lingers on..

I happened to read Andre Agassi's autobiography 'OPEN' recently..Dramatic in parts, but extremely well written mostly. The most poignant aspect was the fact that he was never really in love with the game into which he was forced by his father..Both Steffi Graf and Agassi hated tennis but could not live without it..Reading this only made me realize how much one would have enjoyed playing a sport after truly loving it..Certain regrets are fleeting, but some linger on..The fact that I never really did try and learn to play a sport professionally and regularly has been something I just cant seem to get over. I have played enough street cricket, tennis ball cricket, football, table tennis and tennis too over the last few years...but I should have worked out a way to play them on a more serious basis..SPORT is SERIOUS..whoever said that its just entertainment and not meant to be taken seriously needs to think again..!

Now I try playing tennis, hit around with a coach, improve my game etc..but, it doesn't take me too far..If only I had done this while in school/college..the game would have been much better..I would have also been able to play a game which I so love to watch and talk about..Test cricket, my biggest love..How I wish I could have played the sport professionally..Academics as usual- the bane of life.came in the way..There was no way one could be expected to succeed if he chose the sports field..All that was required to succeed was cramming up some goddamn notes, give exams..come on guys..i just hope that sick attitude in India changes with this generation..Not for once did my parents ever tell me what to do or not to do..I myself take the blame for being indecisive..Watching kids play the game, come up well in it leaves me wondering if I've truly wasted the best years of life..Studies and exams were given too much importance when they really didn't deserve it and when I try to give importance to sport, there just seems to be no opportunity nor the time..


I would not like to force anybody into sport for it can only result in hatred within..But I would make as concerted an effort as possible to see that my kids enjoy sport, play one and learn it well right from their early years..I cannot stop regretting the fact that I, being such a huge sports fan, never learned/got a chance (read not allowed by stupid society) to play a game professionally, but if I can get my kid(s) in future to love sport and play it, it will definitely feel a lot better!..

A must read for cricket lovers- Review 'Bodyline Autopsy' by David Frith

Genius with a tactical masterstroke or villain who broke the spirit of the game?. Was leg theory acceptable or truly despicable?..These questions about Douglas Jardine and his extraordinary 'Bodyline' bowling form the crux of this superbly researched book..

Frith is an eminent historian and his sense of facts and trivia is brilliant and well in evidence throughout the book. The author has woven a superb tale around cricket's biggest controversy and the plot is presented with exceptional attention to detail.

Frith starts with talking about the significance of the series fifty years on and recollects views of one and all. He does adopt a fairly neutral stance with occasional references to how much he loathed Jardine and the tactics..He does however point that similar bowling has been on view in modern times as well referring to the intimidatory tactics of the West Indian pace barrage. The origins of 'leg theory' are brought to notice with mentions of early hostile bowling by Jack Gregory and even as early as in the 19th century...

It is however, unfair to say that this book is an attempt to describe only the series and analyse it. Frith has not only reconstructed the entire fateful tour chronologically, but also provides the reader with rare facts and information about the players, the team and the venues..

'Bodyline', as a tactic was devised to stop the run glut of the prodigy Don Bradman, and he remains the central figure in much of the discusssion..The detailed description and analysis of the tour, primarily the Test matches is a must read..Stan McCabe's surreal 187 against the hostile Harold Larwood and Bill Voce in the first Test when the Australians missed Bradman is given its due credit..Bradman's much awaited return in Melbourne and his famous first ball duck, which stunned the crowds..Frith packs in superb trivia and off field incidents such as when a man left his house in a huff on Bradman's dismissal only to spot some boys drowning and managing to rescue them..Bradman's top notch century in the second innings, with all the strokeplay which set up the win for the hosts is superbly described..

The third Test in Adelaide, which made everyone sit up and take notice of the 'Bodyline' bowling is given a great deal of focus..The injuries to Woodfull and Oldfield and the remorseless approach of Jardine are brought to light..The relations between the Australian board and the MCC deteriorated rapidly following this match and the series of messages exchanged are shown..Woodfull's 'famous quote' being leaked to the press and the accusations flying around even after half a century forms a major topic..

The last two Tests and the unsavoury incidents, though fewer than in Adelaide are brilliantly portrayed..The telegrams exchanged between the two boards are discussed..

The final part of the book deals with reactions and how the tactic and the man who propounded it- Douglas Jardine are viewed years on..With the passing away of Bradman, none of the players in the infamous series survive and the end of the book is a pleasant conclusion which focuses on how time changes people and their views (not all of them though)..

For the fantastic attention to detail, brilliant portrayal of the central characters especially Bradman, Jardine and Larwood, the facts and trivia..the superb description of the Test matches and life outside it and most of all the love for history sets this book apart and makes it a truly magnificent read-one which is a must own for any cricket lover and a fan os the game's rich history in particular..

The shining light..

I rarely seem to get time to sit and have a nice chat with my parents with this hectic schedule everyday..Today I made it a point I must try and spend some quality time with them..We started off with some random topic and digressed which is often the case..Mom told me how her memory seemed to be on the wane in recent times and she attributed this to lack of working with numbers and excessive use of the calculator..While we were thus pondering about short term memory and long term memory, mom mentioned the extraordinary ability of my granny (paternal granny) to recollect and remember the most obscure incidents from the past and her attention to the most minute of details. I have seen many people with an exceptional memory, even an elephantine memory, but cannot really think of anybody in the same breadth as my gran..It did not stop with her memory. She proved that lack of education was not a barrier for knowledge..I can vouch that almost every second fact I have known or learned in history, mythology, Sanskrit, Indian culture, Carnatic tradition and singers and so on and so forth can be attributed to her..

I was sitting in a Starbucks in California two years back when I got the worst possible news.I had known that she was ailing but could not make the trip to India to see her, talk to her and comfort her in those last days..it is a regret that will live with me for the rest of my life..She had had a premonition a week or two earlier and despite wanting to see me badly, she knew it would not be possible..she made sure she would do the next best thing though..Her voice that day on the phone was full of life..I could feel the underlying pain though..Her usual questions- did you eat?..how is job search?..hope all is well etc were followed by 15-20min on her favourite topics...The Vishnu Sahasranamam, the Mahabharata, the Gita itself and so on..I was possibly the only person around her to whom she could talk about what she loved the most..

She loved the fact that I had an affinity for Sanskrit and despite her not having any formal training in the language, her rendition of complex shlokas was impeccable to say the least..her knowledge of the scriptures, the mythology, the Puranas and many other cultural aspects was beyond belief..I was blessed for I was almost entirely raised by her and all this knowledge passed on to me..One might say that these topics lie in the domain of most people of that generation, but this would never do justice to her voracious appetite for knowledge..Be it ancient Indian history, the world war, the Indian freedom struggle, modern Indian events- she knew them all...I can vividly recall Operation Bluestar and the details of that fateful event, the various assassinations she told me about..For someone who had not even a high school education, she was fluent in at least 5-6 languages...her numerical ability was exceptional and I never once saw her use a calculator...

I wasn't present physically, but heard that people came from all over...nearly every relative and friend was present the week before she passed away..The enormous respect she commanded was visible..She taught me nearly all I know...my interest in Sanskrit-not limited to the Sahasrananam, shlokas, the Gita etc, Carnatic music- the names of the maestros- Semmangudi, Ariyakudi, Palghat Mani, MS and the other greats and their superb songs and Indian culture in general can be solely credited to her..believe it or not- she imparted most of the early cricket knowledge to me..Match scores and details I always got by virtue of a single phone call home..People still fail to fathom how she was able to grasp the nuances and details of the game and actually watch it to give me the score..

Quite simply, one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met in my life..Her grasp of myriad topics and in depth idea of each made her truly special..In the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna asks Yudhishtira to meet and acquire all the knowledge from the omniscient Bhishma he can before the great Bhishma left the world..In a sense, I have been fortunate to have been able to at least gain a part of the encyclopaedic knowledge that my granny possessed..

Best in the shorter form..

More than 17000 runs, 46 hundreds and 93 half centuries, five scores of over 150 and innumerable man of the match awards. Surely wouldn't it be considered sacrilegious to even wonder if there can be a better batsman than Sachin Tendulkar? But cliched as it may sound, that numbers tell only half the story, it is true. When seen in the right context, i.e. when compared to the achievements of the legendary Vivian Richards, probably the only cricketer who merits the comparison with Tendulkar in one day cricket, the numbers might just tend to read rather differently.

The comparisons are made in a simple manner for most aspects. For example, if player A averages 100 and player B averages 110, B scores 1.1 points to A's 1 point. For all factors, the ratio of the parameter is taken to calculate the points. The sum of points for each factor is used to determine who has been the better player. Of course, these need not be the sole parameters to determine the best player. I would definitely look forward to useful comments and suggestions.

Games against the minnows (many in Tendulkar's time) and Zimbabwe for Richards have been eliminated from the analysis despite it being more probable for lower ranked teams to compete far better in an abbreviated format.

** accuracy to third decimal

1. The best way to judge a top class player is to see how much ahead of his peers he is in terms of his average and strike rate in ODI's. Tendulkar, in his time has averaged 43.80 and scores at 85.66 per hundred balls. This record is stupendous considering his longevity, but in an era where the batting has become a lot easier with more relaxed rules, field restrictions and flatter tracks, Tendulkar's average is 1.501 times better than the overall average runs per wicket during his time in international cricket (29.18). His strike rate is 1.093 times the average for the period of his career (78.33). The sum of these two important parameter ratios comes to 2.594.

In the period Richards played, the conditions were far tougher to score in and the rules were not as skewed in favour of batsmen as they are in present day limited overs cricket. on the flip side, the fielding was not as athletic as present day cricketers. Richards averaged 47.21 in an era when the overall average per wicket was 28.29 and his strike rate was an exceptional 90.14 when the overall scoring rate was just 72.33. The corresponding ratios for Richards come up to be 1.668 and 1.246. Overall, the sum is 2.914.

Marginally, this factor points to Richards being the more dominant batsman. He averaged higher despite an ultra aggressive game in a phase when the general scoring rate was far lower.


2. Top ODI players stand out by virtue of the number of half centuries and centuries that they score. In 407 innings, Tendulkar has 41 centuries and 87 fifties which comes up to 128 scores in the category of over 50. The number of 50 plus scores per innings comes up to 0.314. Richards scored fewer centuries, 11 in total but 45 half centuries. The number of 50 plus scores per innings comes to 0.337. Tendulkar and Richards are almost level but for a very small difference on this front.


3. Comparing the performances of Tendulkar and Richards at home, away and neutral venues throws up some very interesting results. Tendulkar averages 46.25 at home, 37.90 away and 47.21 in neutral venues. In the matches involving Tendulkar, India have averaged 36.33 at home, 29.39 away and 29.88 at neutral venues. The dominance of the batsman is calculated by summing the ratios of his average to the team average. The figure for Tendulkar is 4.142.
He has by far been India's greatest in all three scenarios. For Richards, though the figures read very different. His home, away and neutral averages are 36.59, 56.80 and 38.80 while the team performances in the same period are 40.89, 31.26 and 33.50. He was the best in away games, but his record in the West indies was below par. In this aspect, it can be said that Tendulkar handled the home pressure much better. Tendulkar's away performance though falls well short of Richards' figures but the performance on neutral grounds favours Tendulkar. The corresponding parameter for Richards is 3.870. Overall, Tendulkar has proven to be the better player in all conditions when the performance relative to the team they played in is considered. This also points to the fact that India had a much weaker batting line up for years when compared to the mighty Caribbean team.

4. As a captain, both the players did struggle to match their performances during the games when they did not have the burden of captaincy. Tendulkar's average of 37.90 during captaincy is much lower than his mark of 45.03 when not a captain. Richards averaged 38.81 and 56.80 during the phases of captaincy and when not a captain. When the ratios are calculated, Richards scores 2.313 while Sachin scores 2.000 (base score).

5. The clear indicator of how big a match winner a batsman is can be made from the difference between his averages in wins and defeats. Richards averages 57.44 in wins and 29.43 in losses which is a difference of 28.01 while Tendulkar's corresponding figure is 22.30 (55.72 in wins and 33.42 in defeats). Viv Richards probably was the greatest match winner in ODI history and this is reflected here. The score here is 1 (base score) for Tendulkar and 1.248 for Richards.

6. Batting first or chasing, both these batsmen have been superb. Tendulkar averages 44.85 and 42.72 while batting first and chasing respectively while Richards averages 48.82 and 45.36. The ratio calculation comes to 2.150 for Richards and 2 for Tendulkar.

7. The greatest measure of batsman's domination in ODI's is his performance in the World Cup and the next biggest tournament for years was the triangular series in Australia. Richards of course played in far more games down under than Tendulkar while the little master has figured in more World Cup matches. Richards averages 66.46 in 21 WC games and 46.60 in 65 ODI games in Australia. Tendulkar on the other hand averages 45.11 in 28 WC games and 37.39 in 35 games down under. The ratio calculations gives Richards a score of 2.686.
Though Tendulkar has had a huge impact in big tournaments, Richards rules the roost when it comes to performance in major games.


8. Viv Richards was widely recognised as the finest player in big games. He revelled in finals of most tournaments and rarely failed when it mattered. His average of 55.73 with one ton and nine fifties in 18 finals is quite astounding. Tendulkar's performance is awesome too with an average of 52.51 in 38 games with 5 hundreds and 10 fifties. In this case, the difference between the two is negligible.


9. In their favourite positions i.e. Richards at 3&4 and Tendulkar at 2, they average 50.68 and 50.29 respectively. Again, almost nothing to choose from.


10. Longevity factor- Sachin Tendulkar has played 442 games in about 20.5 years which is approximately 21 games a year while Richards played 187 games in about 17 years which is 11 a year. Tendulkar has endured a far heavier international workload and his ability to stay consistently at the top of his game is commendable. His score in this regard is 1.909 to Richards' 1.


11. Ultimately the man of the match awards depict the true match winning ability of a player and with ODI's being more of a batsman's game they are far more indicative.
Tendulkar has a scarcely believable 61 awards in 442 games while Richards incredibly is third in the all time list with 31 awards from just 187 games. His awards per innings is slightly better than Tendulkar and he scores 0.044 in this case.

When all the points are added, the resulting final score is

Viv Richards: 16.562

Sachin Tendulkar: 15.959

An incredibly interesting and close comparison sees Viv Richards pip Tendulkar to be the finest ODI batsman ever. Both are very nearly balanced in every regard and just a glance at the entire process shows how difficult it has been to pick the best. In the end, it might just point to the fact that Richards nicks it because he performed more often when it mattered and was also a little more fortunate than Tendulkar to be part of a more consistent and better team for most of his career.