Sachin is technically the best, wait to compare with Virat: Ponting

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting termed Sachin Tendulkar as the technically best batsman, saying he had an answer to every challenge thrown at him by the bowlers. Ponting said that it would be fair to compare Virat Kohli with Tendulkar only after his international career is over. He said, “I have said earlier also that in terms of technique, Sachin is the best batsman I have seen or played with or against.”

He said, “Whatever strategy we used to make as a bowling unit, he had an answer to it. Be it in India or in Australia.” In the ‘ICC Review’ on Tendulkar’s 50th birthday, he said, “Ranking or assessing players is difficult because everyone plays differently. But in the era I played in, Sachin was the best technically. There are different rules, for example, in 50-over cricket, there are fewer fielders outside the circle, two new balls are taken and now batting has become easier than before.

He said that in Tendulkar’s era it was very difficult to play the old ball as it got reverse swing. Ponting said, “When Sachin used to play ODIs, the shape of the ball changed after 50 overs. He used to get reverse swing which is not seen today. “He said,” Virat is a very talented player. He has more than 70 international centuries to his name. Sachin has scored hundred centuries. It would be right to compare the two after Virat’s career is over. This is the right approach because it is not easy to play well consistently over such a long period of time. Some players come and look like the best players in the world for three-four years but it is difficult to last long and Sachin has played consistently well for more than twenty years.