Australian legend Shane Warne has given a split verdict in the case of who’s the best contemporary batsman betw-een Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara.
Warne rated the Indian maestro above the West Indian genius in case of technique but altered his prefe-rence when it came to flair.
“If I was chasing 400 in a day then I would probably take Brian because of his flair and placement. Otherwise, Sachin’s technique under relentless pressure to perform would give him the edge,” Warne wrote in Times on Thursday.
But the leggie did not doubt Tendulkar’s temperament. “An innings in Sydney three years ago gives an insight into his temperament. He was concerned that he kept getting out on the cover drive, so he decided to cut out the shot,” Warne said.
“In his next innings, he batted for more than 10 hours, scored 241 not out, and the wagon wheel confirmed that he had not played a single cover drive.
“I watched from the commentary box amazed at his dedication and concentration.”
Warne predicted a big knock from India’s premier batsman in the second Test against England starting Friday at Nottingham.
He said Tendulkar was still finding his rhythm that he lost after the elbow injury three years back.
“My guess is that he has lost some of his rhythm since his elbow injury and is still feeling his way.”