They just keep on keeping on…

By CAM

Who does? These great cricketers like Sachin, Ricky, Rahul, and Jacques. There is so much one can write about these larger than life cricketers as they have each in their own right accomplished a phenomenal amount in cricket. All four of them have crossed 10000 runs each in both test cricket and ODIs.

A quick perusal of their individual records reminds us of their incredible contributions to the game…

Sachin Tendulkar	Ricky Ponting	Rahul Dravid	Jacques Kallis
47 test hundreds	39 test hundreds	29 test hundreds	34 test hundreds
~13000 test runs	~12000 test runs	~11000 test runs	~10800 test runs
45 ODI hundreds	29 ODI hundreds	12 ODI hundreds	16 ODI hundreds
~17000 ODI runs	~12000 ODI runs	~10700 ODI runs	~10400 ODI runs
~200 Intl wickets	164 catches	193 catches	~500 Intl wickets

Looking at the numbers, one wonders if anyone will break the records set by SRT. Ponting is one that possibly can, especially considering the year and a half difference in age. While that question remains to be answered, whether anyone does or not, Sachin Tendulkar will remain on the pedestal as the one of the greatest batsmen the game has ever seen.

Ponting on the other hand has all the personal accomplishments along with having one of the highest batting averages in the game. One can’t forget that all this has been achieved along with the tremendous responsibility of captaining the Australian team to dizzying heights.

Probably the classiest character of them all is Rahul Dravid. His quiet magnanimity, skill with the bat, and unbreakable defenses has earned him the title of ‘The Wall’. Besides his out-of-this-world batting, a total of 193 catches is reason why Dravid is viewed as possibly the best first slip fielder the game has produced.

And then there is Jacques Kallis – probably the best all rounder to ever play the game. While there have been and are today several all rounders in cricket, a glance a the numbers above will tell us that no one can come close to the achievements of Kallis. 50 hundreds and 500 wickets in the international arena is no small feat.

What is most interesting is that the respective careers of these four greats seem to be far from over. So I say, press on guys! Fans around the world certainly have not had enough. Just keep on keeping on and take cricket to greater heights than you already have. If that is even possible…