Glenn McGrath Reveals Tougher Batsman Between Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara
Feb 28, 2020 at 7:29 PM
Former Australia paceman Glenn McGrath had bowled against many top-quality batsmen during his heydays. However, he didn’t enjoy bowling against two batsmen – India’s batting phenom Sachin Tendulkar and West Indies’ batting great Brian Lara.
Now, McGrath himself has picked the tougher opponent to bowl to between Tendulkar and Lara. McGrath has heaped praise on the legendary southpaw’s ability to construct big innings on a consistent basis especially against Australia.
Brian Lara was slightly harder to bowl to than Sachin Tendulkar: Glenn McGrath
McGrath felt the Lara was the harder batsman to bowl to in comparison to Tendulkar. Needless to say, McGrath clarified that both batsmen were ‘equally good’ but Lara was slightly above Sachin in terms of consistency against Australia.
“That was Brian (Lara). He never changed his game. I may have got him out 15 times, but he also scored big hundreds and double hundreds against us when both me and Warnie (Shane Warne) were playing together for Australia,” McGrath was quoted as saying by TOI.
“When it was his day, he could do absolutely anything. Sachin was equally as good, but there was something about Brian where he could just keep going and he was slightly harder to bowl to than Sachin. He was more fearless,” he added in a statement.
Tendulkar played some great knocks during his maiden tour of Australia in 1991-92 and the process, he ended up scoring six hundreds and seven fifties in 20 Tests in Australia at a scintillating average above 53. He registered his highest score in Australia as he remained not out on 241 in Sydney in 2003-04.
On the other hand, Lara has scored nine hundreds and 11 fifties in 31 Tests and aggregated an overall score of 2,856 runs against Australia while scored 11 hundreds and 16 fifties in 39 Tests against Australia and scored 3,630 runs.
As far as ODI cricket is concerned, Tendulkar has scored nine tons and 15 fifties in 71 matches against Australia to score 3,077 runs at an average of 44.59 registering his best score of 175. Having played 51 games against Australia, Brian Lara has hit three tons and 15 fifties to score 1,858 runs at an average of 39.53.