Basically Brian Lara falls into the category of those unfortunate batters who find their home no less than a cozy pouch, and no sooner they come out of it, it's all together different ball game for them.
If not, then how come there is a drastic change in his home and away average, 58 and 45 respectively! And not only this, in most challenging of conditions he's been found wanted. By challenging I meant, most demanding condition, where one requires to put in his every bit of skill and talent into place.
Be it in Australia - 35 innings 1469 runs at a mediocre average of 41! with 4 tons and 4 ducks.
In pakistan - 8 innings, 178 runs at an average of 22 (against the likes two dreaded W's) with no 50 forget about tons. (and now he smashes a ton against the most impotent Pakistani bowling line-up of all time, even devoid of Asif and Shoaib)
In India - 6 innings, 198 runs, average 33, no ton but a duck.
In New Zealand - 11 innings, 406 at an average of 36. One ton and one duck.
The only country in which he has managed to kick the monkey out of his back is Sri Lanka - 7 innings, 706 runs at an average of impressive 100.86 with 3 tons.
Now you'd say that it's a big deal, but I'd say, NAY. Don't believe me, just run your eyes over Sachin's number in Sri Lanka....
8 innings 4 tons 670 runs at an average of 111.66.
In fact Sachin has been one of the rare cricketers in the history of test cricket who averages 55 both at home and away!
Though it's bizarre, but no sooner one takes out Lara's record in Lanka from his overall away stats his records look ever more mundane and pitifull, and falls flat on its bumps. In such case his overall away average comes down to drastic 42.4!
Out of 24 seasons he's played for his country in 14 (yeah you heard it right it's 14) of them his average is below the 50 mark!
Ok, let's see how Sachin fares on this parameter...
Out of 23 season he has toiled it out for the country only 6 times (yup you got it right, it's 6) he hasn't been able to get past average of 50.
Now that's consistency for you.
But what about their contribution in their team's victory.
Lara has been part of the winning team for 32 occassions, and all these matches he's scored 2929 runs at an average of 61 with 8 tons.
On the other hand in Sachin's presence team India has won 41 tests, in these matches he's scored 3464 at an average of 64 and has amassed 12 tons as well.
Now let's evaluate their contribution in the series victories...
Brian Lara -- 42 matches, 3683 runs, average of 58.46, but not so impressive when it comes to tons walloped, only 9.
Sachin -- 48 matches, 4221 runs at an staggering average of 71.54 and has gone onto breach 100 runs mark on, unbelievable, 16 occassion.
And we all know who rules the roost in Limited over Cricket. So let's not talk about it.
Since one needs to take into account the whole career, hence this is how my top 3 (contemporary cricketers) would look like.
1. Sachin.
2. Lara.
3. Ponting. (but if he doesn't get over the spook of turning and jumping tracks, he may well slip down further, by the time he hangs his bat once and for all.
So, Game, Set and Match belongs to Sachin.
This were someone else's view. Hope you got some answer to your senseless efforts to convince us that Lara is better than Sachin Tendulkar haha. Please read it clearly dude. This is how you try to convince someone got it? Not by trying to tell us that Lara is better as he's scored more double tons and so on. If a batsman scores a double ton and a duck on the second innings then it isn't as good as someone scoring a 100 in both innings.
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