Lara calls Tendulkar Jordan of cricket

November 12, 2013

Tendulkar_JordanKolkata, Nov 12: West Indies batting great Brian Lara said Sachin Tendulkar is to cricket what Michael Jordan is to basketball and Muhammad Ali to boxing and suggested that the Indian batsman should try scoring 400 in his last Test match.

Lara is the only batsman in the history of the game to have scored 400 runs in a Test innings.

In a talk show with former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Sunday evening, Lara said in term of greatness, no cricketer can come close to Tendulkar.

“In terms of stats, you’re going to have players with better stats, you never know.

Virat has been exceptional in one-day games. There are boxers who have better record than Muhammad Ali but if you mention about boxing you’ve to mention Muhammad Ali, basketball you have to mention Michael Jordan. When you speak about cricket, you’ll speak about Tendulkar,” Lara said.

Lara said Tendulkar should not take any pressure of performance in his 200th Test and he should just go out and enjoy the game.

“I would tell him, you had the greatest cricketing career. I don’t think any career compares with Tendulkar in terms of cricketing career. Just enjoy the next five days of cricket. You have the ability to score 400 runs, go score 400...”

Asked what must be going on in Tendukar’s mind ahead of his last match, Lara said it was hard to predict.

“But if I was in his shoes at the moment I would think I don’t need to prove anything. It would be wonderful to get a big score in his last match. I would prepare for that.

But I would not put any undue pressure. I’ve nothing to prove. It’s very important for him to find what motivates him. If it’s pressure then let him be under pressure.”

Asked whether Tendulkar’s glittering career was dragged a bit long, Lara chose to disagree.

“I’ve answered this question on many occasions. Sachin Tendulkar deserved the respect to decide when he wanted to leave the game. Obviously everybody is entitled to give their opinion. Tendulkar has served Indian cricket and world cricket so well over the years. He has given over 25 years of his life to cricket. We’re just sitting today and talking about...

“A Test match is eight days, if you’re ready to check. Two days of practice and a day of travelling afterwards. If you multiply that by 200 and all the ODIs he has played, this guy has given yeoman service to cricket.

“We never thought about playing 200 matches in the Test in the past. He he’s still very fit. I think this is the best opportunity to walk away from the game. We know his performances in the last couple of years has not been great.”

The West Indies legend said the cricketers who have shared dressing room with him can tell what effect he had on young Indian cricketers.

“But we don’t know sitting here the effect he had on the young Indian team. I think you need to go and speak to the guys in the dressing room.”

Lara was also asked how he would have planned for the Mumbai Test if he was to lead the West Indies.

“My game plan would be just to win the game. Sachin would have been discussed as every other player. You play the game hard, play for five days.”

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January 29,2020

Hamilton, Jan 29: India defeated New Zealand in the third T20 International via Super Over to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series here on Wednesday.

India posted a competitive 179 for five at Seddon Park after being sent into bat. Opener Rohit Sharma top scored for India with a 65-run knock while skipper Virat Kohli contributed 38 runs in team's total.

Later, skipper Kane Williamson smashed a 48-ball 95 but New Zealand faltered in the final over to take the match into the Super Over.

Needing nine runs of the last over, New Zealand lost Williamson and Ross Taylor to finish at 179 for six and tie the match.

In the Super Over, New Zealand scored 17, a target which India overwhelmed in the final ball with Rohit smashing Tim Southee for two consecutive sixes.

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February 18,2020

Berlin, Feb 18: Sachin Tendulkar being lifted on the shoulders of his teammates after their World Cup triumph at home in 2011 has been voted the Laureus best sporting moment in the last 20 years.

With the backing of Indian cricket fans, Tendulkar got the maximum number of votes to emerge winner on Monday.

Tendulkar, competing in his sixth and last World Cup, finally realised his long-term dream when skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni smacked Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Kulasekara out of the park for a winning six.

The charged-up Indian cricketers rushed to the ground and soon they lifted Tendulkar on their shoulders and made a lap of honour, a moment etched in the minds of the fans.

Former Australian skipper Steve Waugh handed the trophy to Tendulkar after tennis legend Boris Becker announced the winner at a glittering ceremony.

“It's incredible. The feeling of winning the world cup was beyond what words can express. How many times you get an event happening where there are no mixed opinions. Very rarely the entire country celebrates,” Tendulkar said after receiving the trophy.

“And this is a reminder of how powerful a sport is and what magic it does to our lives. Even now when I watch that it has stayed with me.”

Becker then asked Tendulkar to share the emotions he felt at that time and the Indian legend put in perspective how important it was for him to hold that trophy.

“My journey started in 1983 when I was 10 years old. India had won the World Cup. I did not understand the significance and just because everybody was celebrating, I also joined the party.

“But somewhere I knew something special has happened to the country and I wanted to experience it one day and that's how my journey began.”

“It was the proudest moment of my life, holding that trophy which I chased for 22 years but I never lost hope. I was merely lifting that trophy on behalf of my countrymen.”

The 46-year-old Tendulkar, the highest run-getter in the cricket world, said holding the Laureus trophy has also given him great honour.

He also shared the impact the revolutionary South African leader Nelson Mandela had on him. He met him when he was just 19 years old.

“His hardship did not affect his leadership. Out of many messages he left, the most important I felt was that sport has got the power to unite everyone.

"Today, sitting in this room with so many athletes, some of them did not have everything but they made the best of everything they had. I thank them for inspiring youngsters to pick a sport of their choice and chase their dreams. This trophy belongs to all of us, it's not just about me.”

In a tweet on Tuesday, Tendulkar dedicated the award to his country, teammates and fans.

"Thank you all for the overwhelming love and support! I dedicate this @LaureusSport award to India, all my teammates, fans and well wishers in India and across the world who have always supported Indian cricket," he tweeted.

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January 15,2020

Jan 15: Australia openers David Warner and Aaron Finch both struck superb centuries to complement their bowlers’ inspired display as the touring side handed out a 10-wicket thrashing to India in the opening one-day international in Mumbai.

India, world-ranked No 2 in ODIs, suffered a middle-order collapse on their way to being bundled out for 255 in the final over of their innings after Australia captain Finch won the toss and opted to field in the first of the three-match series.

Warner and Finch then smashed the Indian bowlers to all corners of the ground, picking up boundaries seemingly at will to chase down the target with 74 balls to spare at the Wankhede Stadium.

Left-handed Warner successfully used the decision review system twice to overturn the umpire’s decision on his way to his 18th ODI century, hitting three sixes and 17 fours in his unbeaten knock of 128, from 112 balls. Finch completed his 16th century in the format, his unbeaten innings 110 from 114 features two sixes and 13 fours.

Earlier, Australia’s left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who made his ODI debut in India 10 years ago, picked up three wickets to set up Australia’s victory. He struck the first blow with the new ball when he sent back Rohit Sharma for 10.

India managed to recover from that early loss through a second-wicket stand of 121 between opener Shikhar Dhawan, who top-scored for the hosts with 74, and KL Rahul. However left-arm spinner Ashton Agar broke the stand by dismissing Rahul for 47 before Agar caught Dhawan off Pat Cummins in the next over.

The hosts were hoping for a solid innings from captain Virat Kohli, who batted a position lower than his usual No 3 spot to accommodate Rahul, to get them out of trouble. However, he lasted only 14 balls, hitting leg-spinner Adam Zampa for a six before offering a return catch to the bowler on the very next delivery to be out for 16.

Starc then returned to the attack, removing Shreyas Iyer cheaply as India lost four wickets for 30 runs to be reduced to 164 for five. Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja then fell just short of a half-century partnership, before the remaining four wickets falling for 42 runs, with Cummins and fast bowler Kane Richardson picking up two wickets apiece for Australia.

To compound India’s woes, wicketkeeper Pant suffered a concussion after being hit on his helmet by a short-pitched delivery from Cummins. The Indian cricket board said Pant, who did not come out to keep wicket and was replaced behind the stumps by Rahul, was under observation. The two sides will meet in Rajkot for the second ODI on Friday.

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