‘Tendulkar-Bradman comparison fair in modern day cricket’

LONDON - In the wake of Sachin Tendulkar’s spectacular form, the Indian maestro is now worthy of being compared with world cricket’s greatest batsman, Sir Donald Bradman, a cricket columnist has said.

Writing in Fox Sports, Simon Barnes contemplated on the thought of how any of the most-celebrated figures of the sporting past would get on if they could be beamed up into the unforgiving modern arena.

“While the best bowlers were probably as good as modern players, the worst were a good deal worse. No easy pickings now. How would Bradman have coped in a helmet? With assaults on the body? Or would consistent targeting at head and body have upset him too much?” Barnes wrote.

He highlighted that Bradman was admirably suited to the cricket of his time, but he would face different things today.

“Fitter bowlers, much better fielders, a far more aggressive atmosphere, greater research on weaknesses, more coherent battle plans, higher stakes, big financial considerations, intense media following, television; an altogether different kind of stardom,” Barnes wrote.

“It is too easy to say that a successful mindset inevitably leads to success in any era,” he added.

Barnes concluded by saying that people must entertain the possibility that in different eras, Bradman would have been a lesser figure. (ANI)