Sachin Tendulkar was slightly easier to bowl to than Brian Lara, reveals Glenn McGrath
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Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath says that Brian Lara was slightly harder to bowl to than Sachin Tendulkar. The recently turned 50 cricketer was of the opinion that Lara was more difficult to bowl than Tendulkar even though he got out Lara 15 times and Sachin 13 times overall.
Glenn McGrath, who is known throughout his career for maintaining an accurate line and length, has enabled him to be one of the most economical and successful fast bowlers of his time. The second most successful fast bowler of all time behind James Anderson and is fifth on the all-time list said Indian legend Tendulkar was slightly easier to bowl to than Brian Lara as 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 were playing together for Australia. 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,” revealed McGrath.
McGrath also faced the brunt of Indian fans when he got Sachin out with that LBW in Adelaide. He also apparently got death threats after Darryl Harper gave Sachin out. While Tendulkar had just come in and he hadn’t scored at that stage, McGrath tried to bowl a bouncer and unsettle him and the ball didn't get up it kept low and Sachin was given out. McGrath was quite sure that it was out as he said that could see bails over Tendulkar’s head and so he appealed.
“I tried to bowl a bouncer and unsettle him. And it didn't get up. It kept low. And Sachin is not the tallest player at the best of times. And he ducked and the ball hit him on the shoulder. And from where I was looking, I thought it's hitting the stumps. I could see the bails over his head. So I appealed and the umpire gave it out. I still think it's out. Sachin still thinks the ball was clearing the stumps by a ball and a half. So back in the old days when the umpires gave it out, that was it,” he added.
McGrath discussed this dismissal with Tendulkar at an event where the Indian legend didn’t shy off in expressing that he felt it was not out and the ball would have missed the stumps easily.
“We had a function few years back at MRF where Sachin came and spoke to the boys and then we had a Q&A session and one of the questions was about that dismissal, and I was still adamant it was out. He too was sure about it and said he was not out. Some people said you've got to get hit in the leg to be leg before wicket and shoulder doesn't count,” he concluded.
