The Unsung Chorus

Comparing sportsmen of different eras is a difficult job and irrespective of the arguments that one musters to prove a point, there is hardly ever a consensus on the outcome. But that does not stop us from comparing the achievements of different players across different times and spaces  - both with and without the context. I am exercising my right to do so and definitely do not aim to settle the debate.

I intend to compare two sportsmen of the same era - albeit in different disciplines. I am not sure if that is easier or even makes sense. Plain tired of going through the comparisons; so here is my hat in the ring.

The trigger was Leander Paes’s victory in the 2013 Open Men’s Doubles, his 3^rd triumph in addition to 3 more Men’s Doubles Grand Slams, not to forget the 8 Mixed Doubles crowns too. 14 Grand Slams is an impressive numbers and the last one coming at the ripe age of 40, which makes it all the more important to sit up and take notice. After all we are talking Tennis where the road past 30 is a downhill ride, as Federer would agree.

Surprisingly speculation on Paes’s retirement hasn’t lit up the media the way we have been stoking the embers on the retirement of another champion of the same era. We have been extremely generous on Leander Paes and rather harsh on the Little Master when it comes to retirement talks. The lack of pressure that we pile on Paes could be because we do not value his achievements enough and that is exactly what I want to put in perspective. We have very little idea or appreciation for what we stand to lose once Paes moves on. 

Leander Adrian Paes and Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Two sporting giants that India has produced and they have interesting similarities as well. Both announced their prodigal talent to the world at tender age. Paes had won Junior Wimbledon and US Open and was ranked No.1 in Junior Men’s category. Tendulkar was dealing in triple centuries and had a world record partnership before even getting to first class cricket. Both of them kept the tricolor flying in various forums single-handedly before getting able support. And both of them continue to perform long after their companions and compatriots have faded into the oblivion. 

Who is greater among the two is going to be an academic debate at best and is not going to take anything away from their greatness. Nonetheless I am itching to dissect their career trajectory and achievements before coming to an informed conclusion. Who knows this season's KBC might have a question on who is the greater of the two and I want to have the right answer.

Let's begin with individual achievements. At the end of the day all sportspersons begin as individual contributors even in team games before over shadowing the teams and sometimes becoming larger than the game itself. The respective list of achievements is so exhaustive that for the sake of space I will omit some from their resumes - the kind of achievements that would be the sole claim to fame for many lessor mortals.
    

Tendulkar holds almost every world record worth holding. To cut it short, he probably holds the world record for holding the most world records starting with the word most :-). Do I actually need to spell it out in terms of matches, innings, runs, hundreds, by opposition, by calendar year… The statistical mountain that he has compiled over 24 years can dwarf any sportsperson in any sport across any era. Paes’s record does not appear as mightily imposing in comparison to the achievements of Tennis all time greats. With his 14 Grand Slam trophies he can huff and puff his way to the base camp and behold the sight of Mt. Tendulkar awestruck.

Historical context is the next dimension that I want to explore. India’s has some memorable cricketing achievements both with and without Tendulkar. Apart from Tendulkar there is a fairly impressive list of luminaries who can be compared with the best of the breed. India’s Tennis cupboard is comparatively bare in contrast and whatever little India has achieved in Davis Cup is predominantly courtesy Leander Paes. India was a respectable cricket opponent pre-Tendulkar and a formidable one during his time.  Indian Tennis was walkover itinerary with some noticeable exceptions here and there. With Leander Paes in the team, India started scripting upsets with stunning regularity. Tendulkar enhanced India’s respect in cricket, Paes earned it for India where none existed. Tendulkar sits on top of the pyramid of cricketing greats, Paes is the pole vaulter, significantly above the rest (conceding a high jumper status to Bhupathi).

Cricket is a team game with enough opportunities for the individual to shine. Tennis is a curious mixture of both. The singles are a test of an individual's abilities, doubles are about coordination and the Davis Cup is playing for a team while being out on the court alone. Paes comes out to be a better “team player” where he transformed a bunch of no-hopers to take on the best and laid them to rest. For all his greatness, Tendulkar’s did not single handedly win games for India the way Paes carried it off. To understand that better, in every Davis Cup tie Paes had 50% opportunity of impacting the result (two singles and one doubles) and he carried India through. Tendulkar is one of the 11 players and theoretically has 9.09% opportunity of impacting the result and would have required contribution of at least 4-5 more players to take India over the line.
   

Coming to their failures. Leander Paes has failed as a Men’s Singles player despite being able to defeat everyone worth his salt in Davis Cup ties. He will be rated great on the virtue of his Double’s performances and his name will not be taken in the same breath as Federer, Nadal, Sampras and the likes. Tendulkar doesn’t have a triple century, not even in first class cricket. His great rival Lara has three. Tendulkar has numerous valiant efforts but fewer gallant series defining innings. 

It is not Tendulkar’s fault that cricket is an 11-man game and he is all but a clog in the wheel. Similarly it is not Paes’s fault that as a country we are more passionate about cricket and he was not subjected to the intense pressure that Tendulkar has had to carry. It is not Tendulkar’s fault that cricket has an appeal limited in Commonwealth countries where as Tennis is truly global. These are the ifs and buts that provide a context while comparing but per se are meaningless. As a matter of fact, each of them cancel the other out and establish some sort of parity.

The jury is still out. But one achievement tilts it in Paes’s favor. At the summit of sporting excellence in Atlanta, it was Paes that caused the tricolor to go up for an individual performance after a gap of 48 years. Tendulkar doesn’t have an achievement of that scale and magnitude.