Lavakare and other subjects

Sachin versus Bradman:
S. Patil: somup@netscape.net: Did Sachin Tendulkar ever say I am better than Don or Sunil ? that India can not do well without me ? and India has always won because of me ? The article sounds as if Sachin is throwing tantrums around for he being one of best batsmen India ever produced ! Or for that matter did any of those cricket crazy fans ever come to you scribes and pledged to write that their 'today's hero' is better than anyone in the business till date ? Is it a crime to love and praise their favourite player of their generation ? If comparison needs to be done for statistics stake, fine, let it be. But why this negative tone, as if trying to bring Sachin down to earth and show him his place ? This article should have been distributed amongst your fellow writers who try to cash on public euphoria about Sachin by writing things to please the readers ! Despite being at top, Sachin has always come across as a level headed person. Gavaskar himself thinks so high of Sachin and makes no bone about it while writing ! Why all this fuss ? sit back, enjoy the world cup and hope our master blaster gives some more points to tickle Mr.Lavakare's statistical acumen ! funny media and it's people !



Sachin versus Bradman:
Ganesh Sivaraman: : Cricket has changed a lot over the years. By comparing cricketing legends of these different eras is doing an utter injustice to all these cricket stars. Please don't write such columns comparing stats and players ability from the past and present. I think all the players you mentioned above have some extremely good talent which we should appreciate. We should not try to compare these statistics and belittle anyone. For eg: Cricket now has changed so much that teams are playing more one-day internationals than ever. Emphasis on fast scoring and aggressiveness has become a trademark of most of the teams. It is very natural that this style of play will certainly affect the Test performance as well. The total number of tests being played has comparitively gone down. So it is totally absurd to compare the players or the type of game played 8 -15 years ago and now. A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO SACHIN...PLAY YOUR NATURAL GAME AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT STATS AND NUMBERS....WE LOVE YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR STYLE AND NOT HOW MANY CENTURIES YOU SCORE.... From Ganesh Austin, TX, USA



Sachin versus Bradman:
aflatoon: aussie_marauder@yahoo.com: why is it that we must bag our heroes?this article is totally unecessary.sachin tendulkar has not once said he is better than don bradman or sunil gavasker.a more modest person you will never meet.for arvind lavakare to say that bradman and gavaskar are better than tendulkar is his right but mere statistics do not paint the complete picture . a don bradman there will never be again.he was freakish and lets not even try to compare anyone to him. as for sunil agvaskar he is also one of the all time greats but so is tendulkar .their styles are not comparable.gavaskar did what he was best at and that is use his enormous reservoir of concentration to amass some great innings.tendulkar has this ability in him and i believe that in the next few years we will see this ability come to the fore more often.mr lavakare has so meticulously dug out examples of sachins inability to score runs when most needed.if he is going to make acomparative example then perhaps he needs to look at gavaskars career also.im sure he also failed on occasions when runs were needed.sachin is a mere mortal and as such will at times fail. have u forgotten the number of times he has won matches single handedly for india mr lavakare.after viv richards he is the most destructive batsman in one days ever.he is second to richards innumber of man of the match awards.u also say that tendulkars average was comparable to gavaskar at the time gavaskar retired.u may also like to take note that since sachin has switched to opening the innings his average is now over 45 runs per game and he score them at ove 85 runs /100 balls faced .also all of his 21 centuries have come in this period.i could go on and on comparing these two great players ...but it isa travesty that we have to do this.lets just appreciate the fact that we have one of the most gifted batsmen in our team and with him there our chances of winning the world cup are a lot better.as for all this adulation and hype getting to his head ...dont worry mr lavakare...sachin is above all that.his feet are firmly on the ground.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Harsh: harshy@hotmail.com: Dear Arvind, I read your column and it was really good reading. You have raised some really good points while comparing Sachin Tendulkar with the greats from the past like Don Bradman and our own Sunny Gavaskar. Tendulkar is certainly not Bradman. In the recent past he has made so many mistakes at crucial junctures of the match that cost the Indian team heavily. You cannot expect a great player making such silly mistakes like he did in the Chennai test and in several one day matches. Thanx for such a wonderful column. Regards Harsh



Sachin versus Bradman:
S. Rajesh Babu: s.hrajeshbabu@usa.net: dear tendulkar, Wish you a very very happy birthday. You can do 1000 times more than what you actually do for our Indian team now. What you need is little more patience, at certain time of your innings and that can make a lot of difference. for eg. you would really have become a legend if you had won the match for us in chennai, with paksitan. You got out for a shot which was not needed for that moment. So your entire efforts went down in vain. Remember, no matter whatever you do, finishing is very important. Because ultimately the name goes to him Wish you best of luck. Come back home as a real hero from England with the world cup and the man of the series. We all pray for you for your good health and prosperity.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Rajeshwar Yadav: rajeshyadav69@hotmail.com: Our dearest sachine, I wish you my heartiest wishes on your birthday. Hope like on previous birthday, this time around you will make all the Indians heart beat the fastest by helping India clinch another World Cup. All our best wishes are with you and with whole of the Indian team. Yours, Rajesh



Sachin versus Bradman:
Debanjan: debanjan_dutta@hotmail.com: Dear Sachin , Enjoy a happy b'day and don't listen to these utter nonsense words from a man who doesn't even qualify the needed standards to make any remarks about you . With love Deb



Sachin versus Bradman:
Chaitanya: cs0026@unt.edu: what is your problem sir. let me guess , is your age around 60. you might be highly qualified stastecian, or accountant, you might be able to count runs, and record averages, but you ain't know anything about " class". I am not saying that gavasker and bradman had no class. but their times were dofferent. you are comparing apples and orages here. so take it easy and do not write such shity columns again.



Sachin versus Bradman:
venu: grr10@hotmail.com: That was a great deal of 'encouragement'. you're the best-go and do what you're expected to do. happy birthday!



Sachin versus Bradman:
Pradeep Sharma: pradeep07@yahoo.com: Hey Rediff guys what's wrong with U, from where does U catch JERKS like Arvind, I dont even wish to write even a single word on the article, U DORKS at rediff PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE at this point of time write something which will boost the whole team for the World cup instead of allowing this jerks like Arvind to write something likethis at this juncture. Regards, Pradeep



Sachin versus Bradman:
Srivatson: vatson@hotmail.com: Hi Sachin. Happy Birthday to u. Actually its also my mom,s birthday today. Best of luck for the world cup. May u bring glory to the nation through ur exploits.



Sachin versus Bradman:
ravikhot: ravikhot@hotmail.com: Well, Arvind has a very valid point. Miles to go for the "Little Champion " ( so named by none other than Gavaskar himself !)



Sachin versus Bradman:
jaideep mukherjee: jaideep.mukherjee@vsnl.com: All the wishes to Sachin on his birthday and also for the ensuing World Cup. I think we shouldn't be as critical as given to read.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Bharadwaj Pudipeddi: bpudiped@mipos2.intel.com: Hey Sachin, I just turned 26 too. Believe me, this one seems to be a good luck year. Maybe Lady Luck can conspire with your batting exploits and bring the world cup back to India. heh. Anyways, have a great birthday. Remember that u share the day with Shakespeare (I think he was born on 23rd April too). Keep ur sense of humor and BRING US THE CUP!!!!!! Best wishes, Bharadwaj - a fan of Indian Cricket, a lover of competetive sport.



Sachin versus Bradman:
harish: hari_cricket@hotmail.com: Happy B-day Sachin!! Best of Luck for the World Cup.



Keeping a watch on Azhar:
Md Arman: mdarman@hotmail.com: Good luck Azhar Bhai " Allah par bharosa rakho wahi kamyabi dilaey ga"





Sachin versus Bradman:
Neeraj Jain: neeraj@cdotb.ernet.in: Sir...After reading first few lines of the article, it seems that it's going to be an effort of standing out from the crowd. While all others are writing in sheer praise of master-blaster, why not ern name right off the leak. Anyway, it becomes quite clear after reading whole article that write himself, unknowingly ofcourse, has accepted Sachin to be a legend when he compares him to all other known greats in cricket with considering their strong points only. Why didn't he compare Gavasker's ODI strike-rate with that of Sachin's, or no. of centuries in ODI to those of any other. Another most important point he forgot to point out is Sachin's aggression which breaks the spine of opponent. Infact, today's cricket is more of a psycological-game than of skills, although Sachin's no less than anyone else in that context as well. I don't critisize writer's effort to point out Sachin's weaknesses but it should be a neutral one without prejudice.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Babu Desikan: plintham@hotmail.com: Statistics do not matter. We do not want the record books to show how many centuries, fifties you scored in ODIs and Test Matches. We know for sure that you have the extra-ordinary abilties that count when it matters the most. So, we want you to have the 'staying power' and contribute your might and win mathces for India rather than merely playing to get into statistics. Wishing you the very best on your 26th B'day. Babu Desikan



Sachin versus Bradman:
TFH: tfh01@hotmail.com: THIS WAS THE LAST ARTICLE I READ ON REDIFF AND HAVE DECIDED SO BECAUSE I BELIEVE U DESERVE THIS ... FOR PUBLISHING THIS ARTICLE... THIS IS MY WAY OF PROTEST... AND BELIEVE ME I AM NOT ALONE WHO FEELS THIS FOR THIS ILLOGICAL ARTICLE ...SHAME ON YOU AND THE WRITER...!



Sachin versus Bradman:
shankar: physs@ttuhsc.edu: why is arvind bringing these kind of statistics when we least need them? just before the world cup when we are expecting the team to do well and need all we can to boost the sagging morale of the team. it could not have been more ill timed aravind and i see a lot of pessimism in your writing which is unwarranted when you can sit back and enjoy the beautiful game of cricket sachin tendulkar plays.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Rahul Bhatnagar: rahul@nucleus.stpn.soft.net: Hi Sachin, Many Many happy returns of the day. i wish that u play some memorable knocks in the coming world cup. enjoy the day. best of luck



Sachin versus Bradman:
Devinder Singh: devdhi@hotmail.com: Response to the articles I have something to say on this article that has been written. I disagree with the way some of the comparisons have been made with respect to the statistics. You have compared Gavaskars 102 innings with Tendulakars first 102 and shown that Tendulkar has an inferior average. But you have not taken into account that till that point Tendulkar never opened the batting while Gavaskar did that for most of those 102 innings. If you compare Tendulkars 102 opening batting performances with gavaskars record I guess the story would be different. Again it is unfair to compare the overall batting averages of players like Lara, Kirsten, Mark Waugh and Saaed Anwar who have batted at the top of the order with Tendulkars. The statisitics really are not based on the neutral grounds. If you do a go through of the statistics again based on what I have said the story would look different. All these observations are basically with respect to One Days. But it can also be said that Tendulkar does not really bat at the top of the order in Test Matches also. I agree with you on the greatness of players like Gavaskar ,Bradman and Mankad but surely not with the comparisons you have drawn with Kirsten , Anwar and Waugh. So I guess when an article is written in this light we should consider all aspects. There is nothing to deny that Tendulkar is surely a phenomenon. If he plays well the match looks so simple but when he gets out the story is different. I am a great fan of Tendulkar and a greater fan of cricket. I have written this reply with a good spirit and it should be taken on a similar note Thanks



Sachin versus Bradman:
Sajid Bhombal: sajid@loxinfo.co.th: "Get your facts right first. Then you can distort them as much as you like". Kuldip Nayar quoted Mark Twain, an American literary figure in one of his recent columns. Arvind Lavakare has learned this art quite well. True, Sachin is not equal to Bradman. But in the contemporary cricket, Sachin is the best. Mr. Lavakare has given some figures and statitistics where he has listed scores from the matches in which Sachin's score is low. But does Mr. Lavakare has "selective memory" ? For a change, why does not Mr. Lavakare list matches in which Sachin's contribution is as much as 40 to 60% of the total score? Well, probably the list will be very long and may not be printed in one column!!!! Agreed that each and every player in the team is valuable. But if Indians in general and media (MTV generation or not) in particular term Sachin as "India's one man team" it is because Sachin has shown he has the willpower (Mr Lavakare's favourite charecteristic) to get a victory everytime he steps out to bat. Many other players are lacking in this. A final point of view - Sachin can not be compared with Bradman. Agreed. But, Gavaskar can not be compared with Sachin. Simple, just do a simple analysis. Compare the number of matches Sachin won for India vis a vis Gavaskar. Happy Birth Day Sachin.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Sunil Kulkarni: kulkarni@rediffmail.com: Congratulations for compiling so many statistics but it will be unwise to compare Tendulkar with Bradman or Gavaskar. Those gentleman have different styles and Tendulkar is just Tendulkar and let him be that only.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Samir Thaker: samir_thaker@hotmail.com: Many happy returns of the day to Sachin. It is true that Bradman & Sunil were & are great. But the way Sachin's batting is compared with them is not completly acceptable. If we consider Sunil then we shouldn't forget that he was an opening batsman. Whereas, Sachin comes at no. 4, 5 or even 6. The same is true while comparing with bradman. In his initial dyas Sachin was sent very late even in one-dayers. It is true that due to media hype, Sachin is given more crdit than he is eligible for. But we shouldn't forget that Sunil could make only 1 century in one-dayers & when Bradman was playing, there were no one-dayers. The way Sachin manages the tempo between one-day & test, is the real essance. Sunil couldn't maintain that. We can't say anything about Bradman. In todays test matches, rarely any batsman stays on crease for longer & so does Sachin. So staying power can't be the correct measure. When we talk about fast bowlers todays bowlers are faster than the bowlers of Bradman's days. In the Chennai test, Sachin got out because of the severe back pain & not because he lost his patience. In today's cricket, the expectations from the public are very high compared to old days. In such a tense situation, it is very difficult to maintain the performance. Were Sunil or Bradman capable of that? We don't know. It'll be best if we compare Sachin when he gets retired. Because for the future, we can't predict his performance. He might make tons in every innings or he might go in vein. I think such articles shouldn't be given too much of importance when a mega event like world cup is just to begin. This might affect the player or his fans.



Sachin versus Bradman:
premjit: premjit@satyam.net.in: sachin remember: woods are lovely dark 'n' deep,score more to gather the heap.Make hay while the sun shines.. All the best!!!



The Sanjay Manjrekar column:
Prasenjit Guha: praslife@hotmail.com: Dear Sanjay, Who amongst our team, do U think play with 'the gully team attitude' and who do not? Why is it this way? Why cannot our guys to get down to the mudpit and get aggresive and dirty if the need is such. Cricket is a gentlemans game, but being gentleman alone does not assure victory or the World Cup.



The Dean Jones column:
Prasenjit Guha: praslife@hotmail.com: Dear Dean, I think U are spot on there most of our players do not seem to be involved a 100% in the game. How else can U explain them making the same mistakes in every match. For example does not Rahul Dravid realize that if u cannot make that extravagant and elegant extra cover drive then it is more prudent to place the ball and take singles, rather than trying to play the same drive four times an over and each time finding a fielder.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Mukund G Korde: mukund@boodai.com: Dear Sachin you had demonstrated great staying powers during your school days.We expect you to apply your mind to capitalise on the same during your future career.Being the greatest gifted batsman to grace this planet, I am sure that ,with the determination to stay at the crease firmly embedded in your mind,you can bring further glory to you your country. With best wishes...Mukund G. Korde



Sachin versus Bradman:
N.Shankar: nshnkar@pc.jaring.my: I ofcourse shall not forget his "duck" in the first over against Canada who had scored a "very high" score of 46 at the Commonwealth Games at KL in 1998. Greatest - no way. Happy birthday - any way.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Krishna Kumar: krish_kv@bigfoot.com: Its all rubbish.



Sachin versus Bradman:
Swapnil Kadam,Mumbai: s_kadam@rediffmail.com: Sachin, Many happy returns of the day. All the best for the world cup.



Sachin versus Bradman:
rama: chowdary18@hotmail.com: Have a nice Birth Day to our * .....Have a nice Year for this * .... we think he will present 99' world cup to INDIA.... rama.. ( * ) mean Sachin



Sachin versus Bradman:
Thomas John: haabby@engineer.com: Dear Sachin, Wish you a wonderful 26th Birthday. May God Almighty shower on all the blessings in the coming year. In case you find some time do reply to my email so that I will come to know that you have received my message. Come back with the World cup 1999 to make India proud of you. Bye for now, Take care. Best regards, Thomas John



The Sanjay Manjrekar column:
M.Z. Khan: zkhan@biochem.uni-kiel.de: Dear Sanjay, I have been an old fan of yours and you have touched the right cord of all those "socially adequate" Indian team players who are also "full of social graces" and know what "ethics" are, they not only know them, but practice all these wonderful qualities that make " public school elite" out of mere street hoodlums. The only problem with the whole argument that you have kicked up, is, when these perfect gentlemen, that comprise the Indian National Cricket Team, are sent to play against their neihbours, who happen not to be so privileged and lack all "ethical and social adequacy", in other words,are morally degenerat, according to you, these Indian gentlemen get their respective long noses rubbed in dust of their own beloved mother land. It happens not because these "fairy-tale princes" of National Indian Cricket team lack in any theatrical mannerisms, but only because they forget they are sent to play in a cricket field and not just "prune their feathers" like a frustrated rooster in a social party. In short, what these people are hired to do is to play and win, specially against Pakistan and generally against all, at least at home . That is precisely what they have not done for a long long time now against Pakistan, and abroad against any God-forsaken team. Some people would have liked to raise the ghost of Paksitan's last world cup defeat in quarter finals, but Pakistani team has overpayed that debt. Now the SOS messages are ringing for Sachin to come and save the National Cricket Team of India from their "Day of Reckoning" in this year's world cup. I wish Indian Team all the luck in their face-saving efforts at this year's world cup! yours truly M. Z. Khan



Sachin versus Bradman:
ravi nair: nair_ravi@hotmail.com: Dear Sachin, Many Many happy returns of the day and my best best wishes to you for a success world cup cricket 99. Many thanks, Ravi.