Sachin Tendulkar vs. Brian Lara is a most debatable topic in the cricketing world. They ruled cricket in the same decade. I used to be puzzled about these two batsmen when I was a kid. We believe Sachin Tendulkar is a god in cricket. At the age of 15, he represented India on the field. As a youngster, Brian Lara played soccer and table tennis, but he had a genuine passion for cricket. No one is competing with Sachin based on statistics.
But we compared Brian Lara to him because of his effortless protean talent. So Sachin Tendulkar vs. Brian Lara is a hot cake for many more cricketing fans.
Table of Contents
Early Life
Sachin Tendulkar
In Mumbai was born one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Sachin Tendulkar. The poet and novelist Ramesh Tendulkar was his father. Rajni was his mother, and she worked for an insurance company. He has two brothers, Ajit and Nitin, and a sister, Savita.
Ajit first introduced him to cricket in 1984 and renowned cricketers cum coach Ramakant Achrekar. Ramakant Achrekar shaped his career through his efforts and guidance.
Brian Lara
He is one of eleven siblings. At the age of six, he joined a coaching session at a nearby Harvard Coaching Clinic. Lara, as a result, gained a thorough knowledge of proper hitting techniques at a young age. In his early teen years, he attended Fatima College, and Brian Lara developed as a promising player under Mr. Ramdass. Brian Lara made a super knock on his school cricket. After that, he got a chance for the Trinidad under-16 national team. Next year he represents the under-19 national team.
First-Class Career of Sachin Tendulkar vs. Brian Lara
Sachin Tendulkar
They selected Sachin Tendulkar to play first-class cricket for Bombay in the Ranji Trophy in 1987. But he could not make it to the first eleven. Sunil Gavaskar, his idol, retired after the 1987 World Cup, which Sachin lamented because they couldn’t play together anymore. In 1988, he debuted in first-class cricket for Bombay and made a century against Gujarat. In the 1988-89 season, Sachin Tendulkar was the highest run-scorer for Mumbai. Since then, he has gradually improved match after match. Sachin was the first overseas cricketer in 1992.
Also, under his captaincy, Mumbai has played tremendously in the Ranji Trophy, and he has performed well. In 1889, he made his test debut for India.
Brian Lara
Lara made his first-class cricket debut in 1988. During the Red stripe cup, he played for Trinidad and Tobago for the first time. This year Lara played well with his team. Afterward, he represents the under-23 national team and captains the team. Lara played 261 matches in first-class cricket. He debuted for the national team in ODI in 1990.
Short Analysis: Both players started their careers at about the same time. They played for a long time in first-class cricket. Their records are also impressive, but Sachin is slightly ahead of Lara in this aspect.
International Cricket
National teams represent their nations. ICC organizes the event. Sachin Tendulkar vs. Brian Lara is a hot cake for international cricket fans.
Test Cricket
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar started his test career in 1989 against Pakistan. Even in Indian cricket, where unusual circumstances are bland, his peak happened under extraordinary circumstances. In the Pakistan series, his injury troubles him a lot. After that, he grew his career with ease. Year after year, he gives stability in the middle order. He played 200 test matches throughout his career. In 2004, Sachin Tendulkar made his 248 not out against Bangladesh. In 2013, he played his last test against West Indies.
Brian Lara
Lara started his test career in 1990 against Pakistan. In 1993 against Australia, he made an outstanding century for his team and won the series. Next year against England, Lara performed well and made a triple hundred to win the match. Year by year, he settled in the middle order of the West Indies. In test cricket, Lara gained a reputation and became the trait of the bowlers. In 2004, he played sensational innings against England and made 400 runs. He made a beautiful double century in his last test against Pakistan in 2006.
ODI’s
Sachin Tendulkar
Right-handed batsman Sachin Tendulkar made cricket so easy. In 1989 against Pakistan, Master blaster made his debut in ODIs.He made his first century against Australia in 1994 and won the match. That was the beginning of his century, and then he became unstoppable.
After that, throughout his career, he made 49 centuries. After Sunil Gavaskar, he was the brightest Indian batsman to lead the Indian batting lineup. He is the most run-getter in the world till now. Sachin made cricket more graceful with his clean techniques, precise shots, positive thinking, and excellent temperament. Against South Africa, he scored 200 runs in 2010. With his bowling, he takes 154 wickets with a great economy rate. In 2012, he played his last ODI against Pakistan.
Brian Lara
Left-handed batsman Lara, this legendary player, made his debut in 1990 against Pakistan. We know him for his excellent backlift and excellently uses his power to connect the ball and hit harder. His aggressive tendency and steady legs made shots more hard hits.
He made his first century against Pakistan in 1993. After that, he was also a prominent leader and stable middle-order batsman. In his career, he made19 centuries and 63 fifties. He is a genuine match-winner. In ODIs, he took four wickets in 49 balls. He made the highest score in an ODI against Sri Lanka in 1995. This classy left-handed batsman played his last match against England. He played his final ODI against England in 2007.
T20I
In 2006, India played its first T20 Internationals. Sachin Tendulkar played only one T20 international against South Africa. He scored 10runs in 18 balls. Lara never played a T20 international match in his career.
Franchise Cricket
Sachin Tendulkar
The most popular cricket tournament is the IPL started in 2008. During that time, he signed for the Mumbai Indians and played for them until his retirement. He played 6years for Mumbai Indians and made One hundred and thirteen fifties. Sachin made 2334 runs in his IPL career.
Brian Lara
Lara retired in 2007 in all formats of cricket. After three years, he joined Southern Rocks and played his first T-20. For Southern Rocks, he played three T-20 matches and made 99 runs.
Short Analysis: In International cricket, they are just outstanding. In the ODI, Sachin is far ahead of Lara. But in Test cricket, they have a tough fight with each other. Sachin is far ahead of Lara in T20I and franchise cricket.
Captaincy
The captain is a leader and well communicator of the team with a lot of responsibilities and experience. Sachin and Lara both have the potential to lead the team from the front. Tendulkar vs. Lara is the most discussed topic in this role.
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin is unsuccessful as a cricket captain despite his skill. He has twice captained Team India. But he failed both times. We have criticized him for not being a great captain, despite being one of the greatest batsmen ever. Under his leadership, India had won only 23 out of 73 matches and lost 43 games. At that time, India’s winning percentage was only 35.06 percent. As a batsman, he achieved many records because he focused on his natural game.
Brian Lara
Lara is a well-balanced batsman and captain for his team. He has held his West Indies captaincy duty for a long time. Lara, as a captain, has a success rate that is higher than Sachin Tendulkar. In 125 matches, Lara has represented the West Indies. Lara won 59 games and lost 59 games.
As a batsman, he has the highest scoring record. In 2004, West Indies won the Champions trophy under his captaincy. He led the team to the champions trophy finals in 2006.
Short Analysis: In the captaincy point, Lara is ahead of Sachin. As a batsman, Sachin is much better than Lara, but as a captain, Lara beat him.
World Cup
Tendulkar vs. Lara’s fight in the world cup was full of entertainment. Both the legends played almost five world cups and felt their fans entertained.
Sachin Tendulkar
The God of Cricket played his first world cup in 1992. He scored 35 runs against England in his first appearance in the world cup. In 1992, Sachin made 54 runs against arch-rivals Pakistan. In this match, he got the player of the match award. The journey he started in 1992 has grown exponentially over time. In the 1996 world cup, Sachin played a brilliant inning against the West Indies. He was the player in the match.
Sachin Tendulkar was very close to winning the World Cup for the first time in 2003. The 2006 World Cup was a glum time for Indian Cricket. However, Sachin Tendulkar’s last World Cup did not disappoint him. The entire Indian team, led by Dhoni, seemed to want to win the World Cup only for the sake of legend Sachin. After defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final, India won the world cup a second time. Sachin Tendulkar’s dream finally came true.
Brian Lara
The superstar made his World Cup debut in 1992. In his first world cup game against Pakistan, he scored 88 runs and won the player of the match award. He was a promising youngster at that time. In the 1996 world cup, Lara showed his class performance against South Africa.
In the 1999 world cup, West Indies got stuck in the group stage. Lara made 116 against South Africa in the opening game of the 2003 world cup. Although they started well, they did not qualify for the Super Six. In the 2007 world cup, Lara played his last ODI match against England. He has never won a World Cup in his career.
Short Analysis: Sachin played more world cup than Lara. His world cup records were mesmerizing compared to Lara’s. The big thing is Sachin won the world cup, but Lara could have no one.
Records
As per statistics, Tendulkar vs. Lara is the topmost player in cricketing history. They hold many unique records.
Sachin Tendulkar
He has the most records in his name. In the world of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar set a benchmark. Each cricketer dreams of beating Sachin’s records. Look at a glance at his records.
- It is the first time someone has scored a double century in ODIs.
- He made the most runs in his career.
- Five times he has scored 150+ runs.
- He achieved the highest number of Player of the Series awards.
- He has made most nineties in his career.
- World Cup matches with the most MoM awards.
Brian Lara
Lara made his name and fame in world cricket. This Prince of Trinidad added extra spices to the cricketing history. Lara is often compared to various legends and analyzed with their records.
- He made 53 hundred in his career.
- Lara caught 284 catches in his career.
- 8th highest run-scorer of all time.
- During his career, Lara earned 30 times Player of the Series awards.
- Lara played 430 matches in his career.
Short Analysis: Both legends set many records and became famous. Lara Made test records in his name, and on the other hand, Sachin made ODI records in his name.
Controversy
Tendulkar vs. Lara have also competed with each other in terms of controversy. A review of their cricket careers reveals that they were involved in various disputes.
Sachin Tendulkar
1. Ball-tampering charges filed
In the 2001 India vs. South Africa Test, match referee Mike Denness charged Sachin Tendulkar for ball-tampering. A cameraman captured an image of the Indian cricketer working on the seam this time. Tendulkar was merely cleaning the seam. A 75% fine was imposed, and he even was suspended from playing in one Test match.
2. Not happy with the 194* declaration
On the second day of the 2004 Test match, Sachin Tendulkar hit 194* against Pakistan. Despite Sachin reaching 200 runs, Rahul Dravid declared India’s innings. Sachin recalled his anxiety in his autobiography ‘Playing It My Way.’ Despite many understanding Sachin’s frustration, others felt he had acted unsportsmanlike and selfishly without considering the team’s needs.
3. In the case of the monkey gate incident
The Indian legend was involved in a controversy that gained him a lot of media attention and anger from people, especially Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist. As far back as 2008, when Harbhajan Singh was accused of racially abusing Andrew Symonds, Tendulkar took a neutral stance and said that he did not hear anything. Later, however, he changed his opinion. Later, he hears Harbhajan Singh and Symonds engaged in a heated argument. The next time Ponting wrote about this in his autobiography and Gilchrist in his book.
Brian Lara
1. After Dhoni’s whirlwind 69, Lara told him to walk-off
As India traveled to the West Indies in 2006, Rahul Dravid’s team faced a tough challenge in the first Test against Lara’s side. The Indian team fought to stay in the game and wipe off a 130-run lead of the hosts in the first innings. VVS Laxman made a double century, Yuvraj Singh smashed a century, and Virender Sehwag claimed a fifty, ensuring Dravid’s and Dhoni’s victory.
By the time Dhoni came out to bat, Lara was unsettled after watching the Indian top-order fight for every wicket. Dhoni was aggressive against Dave Mohammed. Daren Ganga caught him in the deep while attempting to smash him for the fourth consecutive time. Despite seeing Dhoni back, umpire Asad Rauf wasn’t sure about the dismissal. Thus, he held back Dhoni in the middle to let the third umpire decide. They dismissed Dhoni in 69, with the Indian team leading by 391 runs.
2. Lara responded to McGrath’s sledging
In 1999, West Indies and Australia played the third Test match in their four-match series in Barbados. After losing the first test convincingly, Lara hit a match-winning 213 to put the West Indies back in the series.
Using the most common technique used by the Aussies in those days – ‘sledging’ or what Steve Waugh called ‘mental disintegration’ – McGrath riled him up. McGrath was attacking Lara after hitting the captain and took no nonsense from him. As a result of a verbal spat, Lara smacked McGrath in front of square to a short ball that didn’t quite rise to the mark as McGrath would have expected.
Short Analysis: Controversy is an issue that never leaves celebrities. In the same way, Sachin and Lara could not stay away from it. Lara and Sachin also got involved in this controversy at different times in their careers.
Retirement
Though Sachin Tendulkar vs. Brian Lara’s battle is not seen at present, their cricketing contribution and achievements will never be forgotten.
Sachin Tendulkar
After ruling world cricket for almost 23 long years, the superstar thinks he should retire this time. He has been suffering from inferior performances after the 2011 World Cup. After the 2012 Asia cup, he declared his retirement from ODI cricket. After his retirement, his teammates could not swallow it. He continued to play Test cricket after retiring from ODIs. Sachin played his last test against West Indies in 2013. In May 2013, he also retired from IPL and T20 cricket.
Brian Lara
Brian Lara ruled almost 18 years of cricket. For a long time, he entertains all the fans. Lara surprisingly announced his retirement. In 2006, he played his last test against Pakistan. When the West Indies lost the World Cup, Lara announced her retirement from one-day international cricket.
Short Analysis: They both started their career at almost the same time. But Sachin played for several years more than Lara. After serving for a prolonged period on the national side, they are now retired.
Last Words
I try to cover up different aspects of Sachin Tendulkar vs. Brian Lara.
These two legends made cricket more exciting and entertaining.
Is it done?
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Data Credit: All the records related to data collects from ESPNcricinfo, and News 18.
I collected other data from the CricBuzz website.
My name is Krishanu Das the founder of the Sports Dribble.
I am Accountant by profession but a Sports Blogger by passion.
I am passionate about sharing my all knowledge and experiences of sports, with my readers and every sports enthusiast.
