truth be told, i am not a fan of indian cricket team and it's not just for the sake of disliking something which belongs to "india"  or a mere product of the subconscious anti-indian sentiment which most of us "gurkhey" nepalese tend to possess. when i started watching cricket, my first impression of the indian cricket team, if put directly, was a "bunch of losers" who aren't able to win games that's there for the taking, who choke big time under pressure and not to mention a team which has adequate talent but heart of a chicken - a gutless team which easily succumb under pressure more often than not. the impression remained so for a long, long time.

with the injection of young blood and much to the liking of the fans of the game across the globe, things are changing with indian cricket team these days. the young guns have added much vibrancy and passion and a hunger for win/good performance to the team which was lacking for the most part over the years.

why am i even saying all this?

well, i have seen and felt, and the trend is similar here in sajha too, that most of the anti-tendulkar people are so because they are anti-india. personally speaking, as a big fan of the game, i envy tendulkar. i have always liked him. someone who started his career when he was barely 16, who played in some of the toughest series for a newly bred cricketer against the then big giants in his early years, who played a pivotal role of a "one-man-dependent-team" for a considerable number of years in the nineties, and now after 17 years of an illustrating career, still going good, man, you've got to give credits to the master if you are true admirer of the game.

highs and lows are parts and parcel of life, let alone cricket. sure, tendulkar has gone through rough patches in his career but who hasn't? it's not a joke playing for the country where cricket is a religion, where people worship and regard players as demi-gods when they perform and burn their effigies when they fail to deliver, where media is ever vigilant against bleak performances, where critiques watch each player as a specimen under their own microscopes. tendulkar has shined against all odds in more occasions. what's more the guy is humble, down to earth and a very nice genltleman.

i don't believe in comparing legends of the game. it's so freakin unfair. more so for class players with the likes of tendulkar or lara who've time and again played quality cricket and raised the bar of the game.  however, on few occasions, comparisons are inevitable especially when the choice you have is tough. in my eyes, and i am equally big or perhaps bigger fan of lara, both tendulkar and lara are masters of the game-- true champions. however, if i have to choose between the two, and this is strictly my own choice, i will go for lara. i don't think i have seen a bigger batsman than him at least in our era and at least in test cricket. tendulkar is also there, but boy lara has played some gem of innings and most importantly has helped his team win from nowhere. tendulkar on the other hand has faltered when his team needed him the most. of all the hundreds he has made, there are only few which have led india to a victory and in crunch situation. playing great and playing good under pressure are two different things.

ricky ponting (although no quiero is mostly right about him being the most dominating player for the last 4/5 years) or inzi or  hayden or dravid or gibbs are also great players but not in the same league as tendulkar or lara IMHO.

that's my long commentary worth 2 cents.