A post by Altacain from carribeancricket.com:
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stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/...results;type=batting
Lara, against the best bowlers of the era, has scored 10200 runs at an average of 51.56. (Add Warne and it goes up to 52)
stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/...results;type=batting
Tendulkar, against the best bowlers of the era, has scored 8800 runs with an average of 47.5 (Add Warne goes up to 49). He also seemed to keep dodging the best bowlers. Tendulkar didn't face Amby or Bishop or Walsh in their prime. He did not face Wasim or Waqar at their prime. He consistently ducked McGrath. He was average against Donald or Pollock with a 30-ish average; didn't face Gough; failure against Bond. Tendulkar accumulated 5000 runs at an average of 100 against mediocre bowlers in the likes of NM Hauritz (Aus); RC Irani (Eng); S Randiv (SL); JJ Krejza (Aus); Mashrafe Mortaza (Ban); AD Mullally (Eng) ; BA Murphy (Zim) ; MM Patel (Eng); KR Pushpakumara (SL) ; GR Robertson (Aus) ; IDK Salisbury (Eng) ; Shahadat Hossain (Ban) ;r BT Watambwa (Zim); GP Wickramasinghe (SL) ; PJ Wiseman (NZ)
In Tests, Sachin averages a modest 36 against Australia when McGrath plays. It is very noticeable that most of his Test runs/stellar performances against Australia have invariably come only when McGrath and Warne were absent, basically against second rate (good, but not great) fast bowlers (Kasper, Damien Fleming, Paul Riefel etc). Whenever McGrath is absent from the Australian attack, Sachin's average almost doubles (averages nearly 70 against Australia when McGrath is absent!!!).
Even McGrath's bunny - Lara - does better than Sachin against McGrath. Not to mention many double centuries.
Sachin averages 32 against South Africa whenever Allan Donald has played. Also, India-Pak never played a series for nearly 10 years (between 1989 to 99 for political reasons) during which Akram was at his absolute peak. But Akram bowled very very well in 1999 when they played each other. In any case, Tendulkar averages only 32 against Pakistan whenever Wasim Akram has played.
Once again, he revelled against the respective teams (South Africa and Pakistan) when these bowlers were absent.
Against the 3 greatest fast bowlers of his era, whom he faced in more than one Test series, McGrath, Donald and Akram, Sachin has scored 1719 Test runs at a modest average of 34.3 (compared to his career average of 56). Against Akram, McGrath and Donald, Lara amassed 3116 runs at an average of 41 at a better strike rate than Tendulkar.
Of all the Test series Sachin has played against these great fast bowlers (McGrath,Donald,Akram), more than 7 series including home and away, only once did he average more than 50 in a series, that too just barely, when he averaged 50.66 against McGrath in a 3 test series (2000-2001) at home in India. Only once was he India's best batsman in all the Test series against these bowlers.
The only truly great fast bowler Sachin has had some success against is Curtly Ambrose. But Sachin never faced Ambrose (or the West Indian attack) at their peak. He played only one Test series against Ambrose, that too in 1997 (4 of the 5 Tests ended in draws), when Ambrose was 35 years old.
Tendulkar's poor stats against great fast bowlers continues in ODIs. In spite of all the batsmen-favoured rules and pitches, Sachin's stats against these bowlers in ODIs is weak: a measly average of 31 (2222 runs @ 31.64) in ODIs after playing 70+ ODIs against McGrath/Donald/Akram. Only 2 of Sachin's ODI hundreds came against these bowlers (both against McGrath in the sub-continent). In 26 ODI innings against Donald, Sachin managed to cross fifty just 3 times.
Not just his average, even his strike-rate suffers against these bowlers (especially against Donald).
Once again Lara beats him hands down (2969 runs at an average of 44.81 against McGrath/Donald/Akram).
