Stats don't lie: Sachin Tendulkar or Brian Lara - Who is the greatest?

Ever since Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara started taking the cricketing world by storm through their batting performances, there has been a debate going on - who is the best amongst these two.

The answer to this question is not simple, both have been greatest batsmen for their respective countries. Both took the burden of expectations on their shoulders and performed consistently over many years.

Sachin and Lara both scored runs against quality bowling lineups. On one hand, Shane Warne said that Sachin is the greatest he has bowled against, on the other hand, Murali said Lara is the greatest he has bowled against. Opinions are divided, some say Lara is the greatest, while others say Sachin is the one.

Let's take a look at the stats of these batsmen and maybe we can find an answer.

In Tests:

#1 Test matches taken per hundred

To be a successful Test batsman one needs to master the art of scoring hundreds. The old school of Test batting says once you get a start you should convert into a hundred because hundreds take team total to respectability.

Sachin scored 51 Test hundreds from 200 Test matches which implies that he scored a hundred every 3.92 Test matches.

Brian Lara scored 34 Test hundreds from 131 Test matches which implies that he scored a hundred every 3.29 Test matches.

Brian Lara certainly takes the cake on this count although not by much.