5 reasons why Sachin Tendulkar is better than what his stats suggest
"What statistics reveal is suggestive, what they conceal is vital."
Cricketers, or sportsmen in general, are often judged by how good or bad their career statistics are. Those who saw Sachin Tendulkar evolve from just a prodigy to becoming a world class player often rate him the best, going to the extent of rating him even higher than Sir Donald Bradman.
But for those born in the mid-90s, who didn't see the days when he was in the spotlight as a young sensation, may wonder what makes Sachin so special when his stats are pretty much comparable to those of other legends of modern day cricket such as Kumar Sangakkara, Jacque Kallis or Brain Lara.
To that, my response is: there's more to his game than mere stats – be it his honesty to the game or his modesty beyond the field.
Let's have a glimpse at Tendulkar's illustrious career to see what crucial elements the stats conceal.
1) Debut at 16
While most legendary players made their debut when they were in their early 20s, Tendulkar was in his mid-teens and he was already facing the fierce international bowlers ready to knock off his head. For a 16-year-old, it takes serious guts to face pacers like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.
Sangakkara made his Test debut at 23, Lara and Ponting at 21, Kallis at 20. When Tendulkar made his international debut, Dravid was still struggling for a place in the domestic circuit. While there are those who made their debut at an age younger than him, with the names of the Pakistan trio of Hasan Raza, Mushtaq Ahmed, and Aaquib Javed coming to mind, none of them could make it as big or even come remotely close.
Tendulkar made it to the top 5 ICC Batsmen rating in 1992, aged less than 20, proving that he didn't just make his debut at a young age because India was facing a dearth of good batsmen, but because he had it in him to succeed at the top level.
The only player comparable to Tendulkar in this regard is Sir Gary Sobers, who made his Test debut at an age of 17 years and 245 days and went on to be regarded as one of the game’s greatest all-rounders.
2) Longevity
Tendulkar carried on playing till he was nearly 40. Though his record in the latter part of his career paled in comparison of his former self, his spot in the playing XI was never in doubt and he continued to be an integral member of the team.
For almost a quarter of a century playing for a cricket-crazy nation with all those expectations pinned squarely on his shoulders and to still average as high as he did is simply amazing.
The first time when he topped the ICC Batsmen Ratings chart was in 1994, and the last was in 2010. That's an interval of 16 years!
3) Adaptability
Some players like Sourav Ganguly were ODI specialists while some like Dravid were Test specialists. But Tendulkar had it all! The fact that he was the only player to be in Wisden's list of top 5 batsmen or bowlers for both ODIs and Tests (second in both), is proof enough of his adaptability.
It's not just the change of formats, but the change of technique altogether. The game of cricket saw a great transition in the 90s and 2000s and Tendulkar did really well, going from being an orthodox cricketer to adapting to the modern game, mastering unorthodox shots such as the paddle sweep and the upper-cut.
Not just that; Tendulkar also holds a unique record of averaging 40+ in all the Test playing nations, and against each of the Test playing nations. No turf, no force could make him weak.
4) Scoring rate
Chris Gayle scores at 85 runs per 100 balls, Hayden at 78, Ganguly at 73, Tendulkar at 86! And he played most of his matches during the days where a score of 250 was more than competitive. Back when fans were used to watching their stars get a slow start and pace up later in the innings, Tendulkar took the world by storm.
Generally when we hear that a player has a high strike rate, we expect their average to be on the lower side. Tendulkar, however, averages 44 in ODIs which is second only to Kallis among all those who have scored more than 10,000 runs. And their strike rate comparison is considerably in favour of the Indian legend.
When the team needed, Tendulkar played a cautious long innings while on occasions that called for a quick-fire innings, he used to unleash his swashbuckling shots to take the opponent by surprise.
5) Former players acknowledging him
Quoting a few...
Shane Warne: “Sachin Tendulkar is, in my time, the best player without a doubt.” “I would go to bed having nightmares of Sachin dancing down the ground and hitting me for sixes.”
Matthew Hayden: "I have seen GOD, he bats at no.4 for India in Tests.”
Ravi Shastri: “He is someone sent from up there to play cricket and go back.”
Brian Lara: “Sachin is a genius, I am a mere mortal.”
Barry Richards: “Sachin is cricket’s GOD.”
Martin Crowe: “The shot played on this ball is only possible for the GOD of cricket.”
Steve Waugh: “There is no shame in being beaten by such a great player. Sachin is perhaps only next to the Don."
Michael Kasprowicz: "Don't bowl him bad balls, he hits the good ones for fours."