Sachin faced better bowlers than Kohli: Gautam Gambhir
Image Courtesy: © Facebook - Virat Kohli
Gautam Gambhir feels that Sachin Tendulkar faced much better bowling than Virat Kohli. Playing down the comparisons between Sachin and Kohli, The southpaw also thinks that the comparisons between the two reflect poorly on an analyst and shows a lack of ideas to put Kohli’s contribution in context.
In an exclusive column in The Hindu, Gambhir wrote, “there are so many variables one has to consider before accurately comparing the two cricketers which in any case is impossible.”
“Some say, their on-side play is comparable. Others feel that Virat’s head is as still as Sachin paaji’s. To me these comparisons only reflect poorly on the writer or the TV analyst and shows that he’s devoid of ideas to put Virat’s contribution in context,” wrote Gambhir in the Hindu.
The out-of-favour Indian opener went on to say that Sachin Tendulkar faced much better bowlers than what Virat Kohli is facing now.
“Pakistan had Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis followed by the crafty Aaqib Javed and Saqlain Mushtaq. South Africa had Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener. The West Indies had Walsh and Ambrose and an odd Patterson or Benjamin in support cast. Australia boasted of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, the extremely quick Brett Lee and then the great Shane Warne. Also, these were the 90s and the early 2000s when Perth and Durban used to be quick. Brisbane had bounce and Headingley accommodated swing and even Mohali use to be fast-bowling friendly.
“These days as economics and boardroom politics rule cricket (please do read between the lines), the grounds have gone multi-purpose and drop-in pitches ensure the challenges for batsmen are limited. Besides an odd Mohammad Amir or a Mitchell Starc, other fast bowlers seem to be filling in the numbers. It is sad but true that the contest between bat and ball is more irregular in the present times than what it used to be,” wrote the 34-year old.
Concluding his column, Gambhir wrote that, “We learnt to savour the greatness of S D Burman and the genius of RD.
