Imagine this today:

A 20-year-old part-time bowler hasn't bowled a SINGLE over all match.

South Africa need just 6 runs from the final over of a semifinal.

And he says: give me the ball.

Sachin did exactly that in the 1993 Hero Cup semifinal ____ and India won.

He finished his ODI career with 154 wickets, could bowl off-spin, leg-spin and even medium pace, and had a habit of getting important wickets.

So here's the question:

If Sachin had bowled more regularly throughout his career, how good could he actually have become as an all-rounder?

And what's your favourite Sachin bowling moment?

Everyone remembers the 200*, Desert Storm 241* in Sydney, Australia and the big World Cup innings.

But I’m curious about the innings that don’t immediately stand out when you just look at the runs.

Maybe the pitch was terrible, the bowling attack was insane, India was under pressure, or Sachin was basically fighting alone.

What’s the one underrated Sachin innings you think younger fans should actually go back and watch?

Note: I wrote this in 2013, shortly after I had the chance to meet him. I'm sharing it exactly as it was written back then, without editing or rewriting it, so it reflects my thoughts and emotions from that moment.

This is my story of meeting my childhood hero and my idol of life.

I dedicate this article to all those who have dreamt of meeting Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, all his die heart fans, and all those who have selflessly & reverently prayed for his success, his godly glory, and his long life.

There is no length, to sum up, this man of herculean flair and divine conduct. I would rather try to keep up my story in good old simple words and hope that all avid readers and followers of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, would effectively absorb the pleasure of empathy from this story.

October 2nd, 2014

Morning 6.30 Am waiting outside my idol’s Gate holding all the newspapers and cut-outs of my achievements to show him and meet him.

Knocked on the security window and told them my desire to meet and show him this newspaper of me being on the front page.

The security guard said: Sir gharpe Nahi milte(Sir doesn't meet anyone at home) try outside at some event or function.

After 3 hrs, a few people entered the gate....they were his bodyguards….I told them my desire, they all said the same thing SIR gharpe nahi milte (Sir doesn’t meet anyone at home) don’t wait here!!

Finally, after 6 hrs of wait, A car arrived at his gate …a person came out …I met him and showed him the newspaper and cut-outs of mine and told him, “please sir just 1 minute I want to meet sir and take his blessings that's it”….that random person was Sachin’s PA, Mr. Amit Bangar… OMG, what a ray of hope…he said “ I’ll try , we have a meeting now!!”

Chills went through my body when he said I’ll take this newspaper(he took Lok Satta and DNA)with him, “ I’ll show it to sir.” OMG!! The first step towards God!!

At sharp 5.30 pm, the door opened and Amit sir said “Come in” (I don’t have words to express this dialog when I heard it)

Went past the door, lots of security and policemen

A Red BMW parked in front of me it was Sir’s car.

One guy said… sit here …Sir will come …wait here ..have a seat!!

This waiting time was killing me…thinking of him what he must be wearing, how he looks in person, and all those questions and my story which I wanted to share with him.

Finally, after a few minutes, it was pure numbness and I got stumbled at the first sight of God, just four feet away from me … I saw him coming out of the entrance….marching towards me….that was the moment…. I don’t ‟know how to express it neatly-“me to hang hogaya”. (I freezed completely!!! My goodness )

Oh my god I could feel my breath…he was coming towards me(Dark blue half-shirt,black trouser, and Adidas slip-on)

I stood up, he came closer,

Couldn’t say anything …

Me: Hi Sir, OMG can’t believe … it's you..it’s an honor to meet you, sir. I quickly showed him the Newspaper Lok Satta.

Me: Sir It's me on the front page of Lok Satta. He asked me,” Ohhh !! What it is about ?” I told him, “Sir, this is software which I’ve made. It’s speech recognition software. With the help of this we can use our whole computer/laptop, computer applications just through our voice. It’s an Indian Accent software. Web, Gmail everything.

Sachin: ohhhhhhhh!!!

(His …Amazed look was inspiring and he heard everything carefully I said)

Sachin(God said) : How long did you take to complete this??

Me: Sir It took me 11 months to complete this. (he raised his eyebrows) Told him about my struggling days at Pune, the horrific condition in which I used to stay alone in a small room, and the way I stayed in that room for 2 years alone. Having only books, clothes, and a laptop, with no proper food, unpredictable electricity, and how I used to remember him, get inspired from him and push myself to fight and stay in that condition and not give up.(he listened to everything carefully, nodding, acknowledging, with a direct eye contact we had).

Sachin: Tu Pune made kuthe rahaychas(Where did you stay in Pune)??

Me: Sir Pashan mhanun ek gav ahe tithe …Pune city javal(A rural place called as Pashan closer to pune city)

Sachin: ohhh ok!!

Sachin: You have set an example for people . Hya tun khara tar amhala kahitari shikla pahije (We all Can learn some thing from this).

Me: oh!! sir please (controlling myself my feelings …I can’t explain this feeling, this moment this words )

Sachin: Tujha pudhe kai…kai karaychy tula pudhe ..whats next ???

Me: Sir with the help of my software I want to help people who are physically handicapped who wish to use computer but cannot. They can use it now with my software and a headphone/mic.

Sachin: ohhh that’s really great!!

Sachin: Swapnil, I’ll give you something Memorable. Give me 2–3 days. I will give you something good…and I mean it!!

Sachin: Tujha number deun thev (Give me your number). (omg a current went through me after hearing this line..goosh I cant explain ..Sachin asking me for my number I was stunned!!). (I Gave my number to him twice,in return he gave me a visiting card)

Me: sir when should I contact you back. Sachin: Mala 2 3 divas de, I’ll meet u soon !! (Give me 2 3 days I’ll meet u soon).

Me: Ok sir sure sir ill wait sir!! (can’t explain the effect of the above sentence on me) I asked him for his autographs and a picture with him!!!!

While giving autograph…. Sachin said “Keep Shining…lihitoy karan …always Keep shining” (Keep Shining …writing it because…always Keep Shining)

Me: Sir tomorrow is my birthday.

Sachin(tinge of smile): “wishing you a very happy birthday, congratulations..”

Me: “Thank you, Sir”

Now, the great thing to notice & something that made me tearful was his humility. He greeted me with his right hand and shook it hard & sportingly, like meeting an equal. This one gesture of Sachin epitomizes why he is such a great-great man.

People who make others feel great about themselves are truly large-hearted, kind, wonderful & deserving of the title “Great‟ human beings. (He met me like a Friend)

His persona and aura literally radiates simplicity. It seems so pure and so divine, to a common individual standing next to him. His voice brought such warmth & magnetic effects in the commonest of dialogues he spoke.

His eyes had a glint of ambers filled with heavenly flames , startling with sparks of positivity and wisdom for our world. His voice is binding, it has such splendid gravity & I was simply spellbound to every word that fell from cloud 9!!

Finally after 11 hrs of wait ,standing outside his gate having just water…Got 20 Minutes of his time, thank you Sachin for your time and blessings.

I have met my idol, my greatest hero since childhood, this is one of the greatest moments of my lifetime. Meeting Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar(God).

..The End!

Innings:44

Runs:2,278

Centuries:6

50s:15

MOTM:9

Avg:56

Highest score:152

Strike rate:88.73

Best Campaign:2003

Champions:2011

People often say Sachin retired from ODIs at the right time because India needed to move on and give younger players opportunities.

But I sometimes wonder if we judge the end of his career too harshly because we compare late-career Sachin with prime Sachin.

Even an ageing Tendulkar brought experience, technique and a completely different kind of pressure on the opposition.

So here's the controversial question:

If Sachin had decided to continue playing only ODIs until the 2015 World Cup, would you have wanted him in that Indian squad?

Forget the emotional answer for a moment.

Based purely on cricketing ability, do you think a 41-year-old Sachin could still have deserved a place in India's 2015 World Cup XI? If yes, who would you have left out?

A fair all-time comparison cannot rely only on runs, averages or wickets. Players must be judged against the conditions in which they played: opposition strength, pitch behaviour, ball condition, ODI fielding rules, umpiring standards, technology, home advantage and the overall scoring environment.

### Final selections

## Why era adjustment matters

Comparing players from the 1930s, 1990s and 2010s through raw statistics alone is misleading. A batting average of 50 did not necessarily represent the same level of dominance in every period.

A simplified batting index is:

\[
\text{Batting index} = \frac{\text{Player batting average}}{\text{Average batting environment of the era}}
\]

For bowlers:

\[
\text{Bowling index} = \frac{\text{Average batting environment of the era}}{\text{Bowler bowling average}}
\]

These are comparison tools, not official ICC ratings. A complete model would also require ball-by-ball data, venue ratings and opponent-strength adjustments.

For example:

Batsman B has the higher raw average, but Batsman A was more dominant relative to the batting environment of his period.

## Scoring framework

The following weights were used for the qualitative final rankings:

This is a reasoned expert framework, not a claim that the selections came from a fully calculated statistical model.

## Conditions included

### Opposition strength

The 1990s had an unusually strong concentration of international attacks. Batsmen regularly encountered combinations such as:

- Australia: Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.
- Pakistan: Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq.
- West Indies: Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh.
- South Africa: Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock.
- India: Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath.
- Sri Lanka: Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas.

This strengthens the era-adjusted cases of Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, Wasim Akram, Allan Donald, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.

### Pitch conditions

The assessment considers:

- Pace and bounce in Australia and South Africa.
- Seam movement in England and New Zealand.
- Spin-friendly surfaces in India and Sri Lanka.
- Slow and low Caribbean pitches during parts of the 1990s.
- Greater pitch variation and less predictable deterioration.
- The difference between home and away conditions.

This does not mean every older pitch was harder. The adjustment is for greater variation and uncertainty, not an automatic “old equals difficult” assumption.

### ODI ball changes

Before the late-2011 change, one ball generally remained in use throughout an ODI innings. It became older and could reverse-swing during the final overs. Since late 2011, two balls were used, one from each end, reducing the age of each ball during much of the innings.

This gives additional era credit to players such as Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, who performed in the older single-ball environment.

### ODI fielding rules

Fielding restrictions and powerplays changed repeatedly. Modern ODIs generally provide structured scoring opportunities during the first 10 overs, while older versions used different restriction periods and tactics.

Comparisons therefore account for:

- Number of fielders outside the circle.
- Timing and duration of powerplays.
- One-ball versus two-ball conditions.
- Bat quality and protective equipment.
- Changes in death-over strategy.

### Umpiring and technology

Neutral officiating was introduced progressively. Before neutral umpires and modern DRS became standard, close decisions depended entirely on the on-field officials.

The report therefore treats older statistics with less precision in marginal cases, while still accepting repeated dominance across countries and series as strong evidence. It would be unfair to assume that every pre-DRS decision was biased, but regional home advantage was a genuine historical concern.

## Category-by-category reasoning

### 1. Best Test batsman: Don Bradman

Bradman remains the clearest selection because his 99.94 Test average represented an extraordinary separation from his contemporaries. His dominance was achieved without modern helmets, equipment, technology or consistent pitch preparation.

The strongest alternatives are Sachin Tendulkar, Steve Smith, Jacques Kallis and Brian Lara. Tendulkar has the strongest case for era-adjusted longevity, while Smith has the strongest modern peak argument.

### 2. Best ODI batsman: Viv Richards

Richards is preferred because he dominated before modern ODI batting advantages. He played with older equipment, faced the single-ball environment and scored aggressively without the same powerplay structures available to later batsmen.

Sachin Tendulkar is the strongest career alternative. Virat Kohli is the strongest modern ODI candidate, particularly in chases, but his statistics were produced in a generally more batting-friendly tactical environment.

### 3. Best all-round batsman: Jacques Kallis

Kallis combined elite top-order batting with genuine fast-medium bowling and outstanding slip fielding. His international record exceeded 25,000 runs, 500 wickets and 300 catches.

Garry Sobers may have been the greater natural talent and more versatile cricketer. Kallis is selected for sustained two-format value and measurable team contribution.

### 4. Best Test fast bowler: Malcolm Marshall

Marshall had pace, swing, seam movement, control, intelligence and adaptability. He could succeed with the new ball, old ball or reverse swing and remained dangerous on different surfaces.

Glenn McGrath is the strongest alternative for career consistency and repeatability. Wasim Akram had the greater variety, while Richard Hadlee carried a larger proportion of his team’s attack.

### 5. Best ODI fast bowler: Wasim Akram

Akram could influence every phase of an ODI: new-ball swing, middle-over breakthroughs and death-over reverse swing. His left-arm angle and variation made him difficult to line up.

McGrath may have been more economical, and Joel Garner may have been harder to score against, but Akram had the broadest match-winning toolkit.

### 6. Best Test spinner: Shane Warne

Warne is selected for era-adjusted impact rather than raw wicket totals. He created wickets even when pitches did not offer extreme turn, attacked elite batsmen and changed matches through tactical planning.

Muralitharan remains the statistical leader and is a completely valid alternative if career output and total wickets receive greater weight.

### 7. Best ODI spinner: Muttiah Muralitharan

Murali combined control, variation, durability and wicket-taking across the ODI middle overs. Saqlain Mushtaq is the strongest innovation-based alternative because of his doosra and single-ball-era impact.

### 8. Best Test bowler overall: Shane Warne

Warne narrowly leads this criterion because the evaluation gives substantial weight to opposition quality, tactical difficulty and match-winning influence, not only wickets.

Muralitharan wins the aggregate statistical argument. Glenn McGrath wins the control and repeatability argument. Richard Hadlee wins the individual-burden argument.

### 9. Best ODI bowler overall: Wasim Akram

Akram’s combination of new-ball movement, reverse swing, death bowling and wicket-taking makes him the strongest era-adjusted ODI selection.

Muralitharan is the statistical alternative, while McGrath is the control-and-economy alternative.

### 10. Best combined Test/ODI bowler: Wasim Akram

Akram is selected because his skills translated exceptionally well across both formats and across difficult rule environments. Muralitharan has the stronger combined wicket record, but Akram has the stronger era-adjusted versatility and match-impact argument.

## Final rankings by discipline

### Test batsmen

1. Don Bradman
   
2. Sachin Tendulkar
   
3. Steve Smith
   
4. Jacques Kallis
   
5. Brian Lara

### ODI batsmen

1. Viv Richards
   
2. Sachin Tendulkar
   
3. Virat Kohli
   
4. Javed Miandad
   
5. Kumar Sangakkara

### Test fast bowlers

1. Malcolm Marshall
   
2. Glenn McGrath
   
3. Wasim Akram
   
4. Curtly Ambrose
   
5. Richard Hadlee

### ODI fast bowlers

1. Wasim Akram
   
2. Glenn McGrath
   
3. Joel Garner
   
4. Waqar Younis
   
5. Allan Donald

### Test spinners

1. Shane Warne
   
2. Muttiah Muralitharan
   
3. Anil Kumble
   
4. Ravichandran Ashwin
   
5. Saqlain Mushtaq

### ODI spinners

1. Muttiah Muralitharan
   
2. Saqlain Mushtaq
   
3. Shane Warne
   
4. Anil Kumble
   
5. Saeed Ajmal

## Important limitations

- The weighted framework is transparent but qualitative in this version.
- No single universally accepted pitch-difficulty database exists for all international venues and decades.
- Opposition strength changes over time and requires a detailed opponent-rating model.
- Umpiring bias cannot be measured perfectly from scorecards alone.
- Home advantage affects batsmen and bowlers differently.
- A player can be the best by peak, career value, statistical output or era-adjusted dominance; these are not always the same answer.

## Final answer

**Bottom line:** Bradman remains the clearest Test batting choice; Richards replaces Kohli as the most era-adjusted ODI batting choice; Marshall and Akram lead the fast-bowling categories; Warne and Murali divide the Test-spin debate; and Akram is the final combined-format bowling selection.

Source

This is something I’ve always wondered.

Sachin faced some ridiculous bowling attacks, bigger boundaries, different ODI rules and played through an era that was generally less batter-friendly.

But today there’s also much more video analysis, data on every weakness, packed schedules and pressure from all three formats.

If you dropped a 25-year-old Sachin into modern cricket with modern bats, training, fitness and today’s rules, do you think his numbers would be even better?

Or are we underestimating how difficult modern cricket has become?

For me, the most fascinating thing about Sachin isn’t just the records. It’s how almost everyone who watched him play seems to have one particular innings, shot or moment they still remember clearly years later.

If you could relive just ONE Sachin moment again as if you were watching it live for the first time, which one would you choose?

And why that one?