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TENDULKAR VS DRAVID

                            Sachin Tendulkar vs Rahul Dravid OR talent vs hard work OR aggression vs defence. The two all-time-great batsmen of Indian cricket provide a fascinating comparison. Tendulkar has been India's One-Man-Army for long, while Dravid has recently risen as the Great-Wall-of-India. While Tendulkar believes in beating the opposition into submission with flamboyant aggression, Dravid places faith in the virtues of tiring them out with his astute defence. Though Tendulkar has been the best batsman in India for long, Dravid has been fast catching up on him in the last two years.

                            The true greatness of a batsman is not merely reflected in how he gets his runs but also when he gets his runs. Tendulkar is undoubtedly the most talented batsman in the world and some of his shots are truly breathtaking, exuding pure class. Dravid has been less spectacular and his batting probably lacks the stamp of genius. But he has been highly successful and has been the vital performer for India in a crisis. Lets have a look at their records**..…

First the Test matches:

                         Tendulkar holds an outstanding record in Tests scoring 9,470 runs with 33 hundreds at an average of 57.39. Quite astonishing. Dravid's record is less awesome, scoring 6,855 runs with 17 hundreds. However he averages higher than Tendulkar – 58.09. Statistics in this case are slightly misleading. Tendulkar has played in 114 test matches while Dravid has represented India in only 78 tests, which clearly accounts for the difference in the number of runs and hundreds. The career average suggests there is nothing much to choose between the two in terms of performance.  

                        Scoring runs is highly superfluous unless your team wins. Lets see what percentage of the total runs, centuries and half-centuries that Dravid and Tendulkar have scored in their careers have come in Away Test match victories.

Dravid holds a better record in the matches that India has won abroad, indicating his higher contribution in such victories.

Now the ODIs:

Records in ODIs can be highly deceptive; openers get 50 overs to bat, and inevitably score more runs and centuries than middle order batsmen. Hence the average would be a finer indicator. Tendulkar has been a magnificent performer for India in the ODIs while Dravid has had to pass through a stage when even his place in the ODI squad was threatened. Tendulkar holds a better record in ODIs, but what is remarkable is the way Dravid has developed as an ODI batsman in the last couple of years (since he started keeping wickets). 

These records definitely do indicate one thing – Rahul Dravid has arrived. And that Tendulkar’s place as the best batsman in India is under considerable doubt.

However, no amount of statistics can reveal the true value of any player to a side. Tendulkar has been the savior of Indian cricket and the fulcrum of its batting for long. But Rahul Dravid has been instrumental in India’s success of late with scintillating efforts in both tests and ODIs. Both have faced a lot of criticism, Tendulkar for ‘not performing when it matters’ and Dravid for his ‘slow batting in ODIs’. But the truth is that they are tremendous players, both of whom understandably, not flawless.

At the end of it all, the burning question still remains unanswered. Who is better? Some cricket writers have compared Tendulkar to a Fort whenever Dravid was called the Wall. But we need to remind ourselves that a battle cannot be won without both the Wall and the Fort. Do we need to know which of the two is better? Not really. Indian cricket fans should accept both players for what they are and feel grateful that both these fantastic batsmen are playing for India!!

** all figures as on 24^th July, 2004.