Is SRT greater than all other Indian batsmen? I agree, he is great. In addition to cricketing matters, there lie social and political reasons placing him above every other cricketer, maybe even all other sportsmen, in the world. His influence goes beyond a mere twenty-two yards. However, purely from cricketing point of view, let me argue my case. I shall try to use facts, and sporting discretion only.
For the case of SRT versus the Rest of the World, in this case India, let's recall all of our wins in the last decade, in reverse chronological order. Wins I can't forget are in bold, and, wins I will ensure my grand-children won't forget are underlined. In parentheses are, in my opinion, the defining moments.
- West-Indies, Sabina Park
- South-Africa, Durban (VVS plays two match-defining knocks, helps retain #1 ranking which could have been lost)
- Australia, Bangalore
- Australia, Mohali (VVS, Ishant, #1 ranking retained by winning the first match of series)
- Sri-Lanka, Colombo (VVS ton seals chase, first time we don't lose a series in Sri-Lanka, #1 ranking could have been lost)
- Sri-Lanka, Kanpur
- Sri-Lanka, Mumbai
- New-Zealand, Hamilton
- England, Chennai (Sehwag sets up big chase, Gambhir, SRT, Yuvraj cash in; days later RSA chase even bigger in Perth)
- Australia, Nagpur
- Australia, Mohali
- Sri-Lanka, Galle (Horrid series for Fab-Four, Sehwag carries bat for 201*)
- South-Africa, Kolkata
- Australia, Perth (Dravid's 91 on first day, VVS then rallies tail in second innings, Irfan is MoM)
- Pakistan, Delhi
- England, Nottingham (re-emergence of ZaK)
- West-Indies, Sabina Park (Dravid twin-fifties in Sabina Park takes us to 1-0 win in West-Indies)
- South-Africa, Johannesburg (
only time I have seen an Indian bowler pelting opposition with pure pace, Sreesanth) - England, Mohali
- Sri-Lanka, Ahmedabad
- Sri-Lanka, Delhi
- Pakistan, Kolkata
- South-Africa, Kolkata (come back to level a two test series)
- Australia, Mumbai (7 session test match of unremitting tension with a doctored pitch)
- Pakistan, Rawalpindi (Dravid's monumental 270)
- Pakistan, Multan (first Indian triple centuion: Sehwag, Dravid's debatable declaration with SRT stuck on 196*)
- Australia, Adelaide (Branded 'The Dravid Test' by Outlook, or India Today, can't remember which one)
- West-Indies, Chennai
- West-Indies, Mumbai
- England, Leeds (Dravid, no one recalls SRT and Ganguly's tons on the sun-out second day)
- West-Indies, Port of Spain
- Australia, Chennai (VVS, Bhajji, SRT made century under easier conditions in the first innings)
- Australia, Kolkata (VVS, Dravid, Bhajji)
These are the victories starting with the event, Sachin and Sehwag concur with this, that changed the direction of Indian cricket in 2001: VVS Laxman's 281. I believe am not missing a single win, except those over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. SRT has almost been comatose in these matches.
Let me point out, am not making a case again SRT. Nor am I trying to push Dravid's case. Am trying to question the basis for statistical arguments for branding someone as great. A strong case for Sachin are his "51 centuries". Now, am trying to push the case for runs made in the crucial situations of a test match, those moments in five days which define that match, sometimes even that particular series, thereby, getting seared in our heads. Surely, you don't read SRT too much on this list. So, I feel, towards Indian wins Sachin has not contributed much. His supporters like to say SRT is often the lone man standing, no one plays around him, cricket is not a one-man show, etc. I too can say that he stands tall in defeats whereby having a mere dilatory affect on the outcome. There is the undefined X-factor coming into play here.
