Sydney: Noted cricket columnist Peter Roebuck has described Sachin Tendulkar, who became the first batsman to score a double hundred in ODI cricket when he scored an unbeaten 200 against South Africa in the second ODI at Gwalior, as one of the most complete batsman of modern times.

Roebuck pointed out that Tendulkar continues to go from strength to strength and his dazzling double century in Gwalior reinforced his reputation as the finest batsman to appear in the past 60 years.

“After two decades of intense scrutiny and hard campaigns, he was fresh enough to bat an entire innings and collar all sorts of bowling. He has been sustained by a simple love of the game and, especially, batting. As Andre Agassi has confirmed, it’s not as easy as it sounds. A lot can be lost once sport becomes a job,” Roebuck writes in his column.

Tendulkar was not playing against any ordinary side, but was facing the might of South Africa, one of the best bowling attacks in the world, the Sydney Morning Herald quoted him as saying.

“Tendulkar conquered South Africa not with brute force but with the purity of style that has been his hallmark since first he arrived as a child at Shivaji Park, a young boy seeking opportunity and competition. His ability to combine classical and virtuoso has been unique,” he writes. “No batsman has been as rewarding to watch in the past decades, and none has been superior. Among past masters, Viv Richards and Sunil Gavaskar stand out. Gavaskar ruled with meticulous technique. Richards dictated with relish.”

“Among the moderns, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Brian Lara stand apart. Ponting’s greatness is an established fact. Lara has been the genius of the age. Tendulkar is not flawless. Of all modern batsmen, though, he has been the most complete,” he adds.

Tagged with: Australia, India, Sachin Tendulkar, Sydney

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