Tendulkar 'most complete master' to grace cricket in last 60 yrs: Roebuck

Sydney, Feb 26 (ANI): Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, who is again in the headlines for scoring the first ODI double hundred, has been described as one of the most complete batsman of modern times, according to noted columnist Peter Roebuck.

Roebuck points out that Tendulkar continues to go from strength to strength and his dazzling double century in Gwalior reinforced his reputation as the finest batsman to appear in the past 60 years.

"After two decades of intense scrutiny and hard campaigns, he was fresh enough to bat an entire innings and collar all sorts of bowling. He has been sustained by a simple love of the game and, especially, batting. As Andre Agassi has confirmed, it's not as easy as it sounds. A lot can be lost once sport becomes a job," Roebuck writes in his column.

Tendulkar was not playing against any ordinary side, but was facing the might of South Africa, the Sydney Morning Herald quoted him, as saying.

"Tendulkar conquered South Africa not with brute force but with the purity of style that has been his hallmark since first he arrived as a child at Shivaji Park, a young boy seeking opportunity and competition. His ability to combine classical and virtuoso has been unique," he writes.

"No batsman has been as rewarding to watch in the past decades, and none has been superior. Among past masters, Viv Richards and Sunil Gavaskar stand out. Gavaskar ruled with meticulous technique. Richards dictated with relish," Roebuck writes.

"Among the moderns, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Brian Lara stand apart. Ponting's greatness is an established fact. Lara has been the genius of the age. Tendulkar is not flawless. Of all modern batsmen, though, he has been the most complete," he adds. (ANI)