Tendulkar ahead of Lara, Ponting: Gavaskar

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New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar is slightly ahead of batting greats Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said in an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN on Wednesday.

"I think apart from Sir Garfield Sobers, nobody has played 20 years of international cricket," Gavaskar said. "And 20 years of playing at the highest level and playing at the highest standards - that is an achievement beyond compare."

Gavaskar hoped Tendulkar continues playing for a few more years.

"No praise can be too high for this young man," he said. "He is young, because as far as his enthusiasm for the game is concerned, I think he's almost child-like. That's what keeps him going on and on. I hope he keeps going for a few more years."

Gavaskar praised former West Indies captain Brian Lara and Australian skipper Ricky Ponting as greats of the modern game, but said Tendulkar stands ahead of them for the years of international cricket he has behind him.

"Look at the way Brian Lara won matches for the West Indies and the way Ricky Ponting has been batting and winning matches for Australia, both in Test and one-day cricket," he said.

"They are fantastic batsmen. But I think Tendulkar is just a bit ahead of them," Gavaskar said in a tribute to Tendulkar, who completes 20 years in international cricket on November 15.

Gavaskar said Ponting can overtake Tendulkar only if he is able to play two decades of international cricket.

"Lara is retired now, but if Ponting can play 20 years, he will have all the records in the book and he'll go past even Tendulkar."

Sachin Tendulkar is 49 runs short of completing 30,000 runs in international cricket. The master batsman eclipsed West Indies batting great Brian Lara to become the leading run-getter in Test cricket last year.

In one-day cricket, Tendulkar, who recently completed 17,000 runs, is well ahead of second placed Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka.

Tendulkar has 87 international hundreds to boast of. He took over from Sunil Gavaskar himself in 2005 when he scored his 35th Test century. He has been the leading centurion in one-day cricket for over a decade, when he broke West Indian Desmond Haynes' record of 17 ODI centuries.

Tendulkar's last one-day hundred came against Australia in Hyderabad last week, his blistering innings of 175 not enough to save India from defeat in the fifth one-dayer.

Australia won the seven-match series 4-2 after the seventh and final ODI was washed out in Mumbai on Wednesday.

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