NASSER HUSSAIN: Mighty Sachin Tendulkar even tops Lara, Ponting and The Don!

I have never liked comparisons between great players, but after Wednesday’s incredible game it must be said — Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman of all time.

Better than Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting, the other two great players of my era. better than Sir Viv Richards, Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border. and I would even say better than Sir Don Bradman himself.

Now he has the first double hundred in a one-day international — hitting 25 fours and three sixes as India beat South Africa by 153 runs — he has swung it for me.

Little master: Record-breaker Tendulkar celebrates reaching his landmark

SACHIN BY NUMBERS

46 One-day international hundreds

166 Test matches played

240 Sixes in all international cricket

442 One-day internationals

13,447 Test runs scored

17,598 one-day international runs

45.12 One-day international batting average

55.56 Test batting average

I played against Tendulkar on my first England tour, the Nehru Cupin India in 1989, and I could still see that excited boy in big pads inGwalior.

That extraordinary drive and enthusiasm are what make Tendulkar sospecial. He has been playing international cricket for 20 years underthe intense scrutiny being an Indian superstar brings, so it isremarkable he still loves holding a bat as much as ever.

Halfway through the Indian innings on Wednesday, Tendulkar wasalready on more than a hundred. It’s almost a given that he will reachthree figures. But even he had not turned it into a double in a 50-overinternational before, and this was not against a lowly side but SouthAfrica, one of the most formidable bowling attacks in the world.

There was no slogging — just pure, attacking strokeplay.

Tendulkar has gone back to being the fluent, almost flamboyant,batsman he used to be. In recent years his innings had become a bitmechanical, but I think he has remembered what made him great.

I interviewed Sachin for Sportsmail when he was touring England acouple of years ago — one of the highlights of my career since Istopped playing, and it was noticeable that he is not driven by money.




Better than the rest: Tendulkar is better than Lara (left) and Bradman

He has become a very wealthy man, but that has been as a result ofdoing what he does best and enjoying it. it has not been the be all andend all for him.

What else is left for Tendulkar now? well, it is sometimes said thathe has not played enough match-winning innings on the really bigoccasion for India.

What better, then, than to score a hundred in the World Cup finalagainst Australia — or maybe even England — on home soil this time nextyear.

That would be the full stop that would enable Tendulkar to ride off into the sunset with everything achieved in his career.

My admiration for him is total. To steal the nickname of a certainfootball coach who led Inter Milan against Chelsea on Wednesday, SachinTendulkar truly is The Special one.