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India v England: Alastair Cook 'can match Sachin Tendulkar'

Last updated on .From the section Cricketcomments255

Alastair Cook

England captain Alastair Cook has the potential to match Sachin Tendulkar's run-scoring feats, according to batting coach Graham Gooch.

Cook, 27, became the youngest player to reach 7,000 Test runs and England's most prolific centurion with his 23rd as England beat India in Kolkata.

India's Tendulkar, 39, has a record 15,643 Test runs and 51 hundreds.

"Potentially [Cook] could go onto that sort of level," Gooch told BBC Sport. "I don't think he's reached his peak."

Cook scored superb hundreds in Mumbai and Kolkata to help England take a 2-1 lead over India with one match to play, simultaneously extending his record of having recorded a century in each of his first five Tests as captain.

He now has 7,103 Test runs and is closing in on Gooch, who holds the England record of 8,900.

Gooch, who challenged England to finish the job with victory in the final Test in Nagpur, says several factors will determine whether Cook gets close to the run tallies of Tendulkar or Australia's Ricky Ponting, who retired from international cricket last week after scoring 13,378 Test runs.

"Fitness, drive and motivation will all come into it," said Gooch. "But he's got a good game at the moment and the application of that game has been exceptional in the last two matches.

"He's well balanced and I'd like to think he could do that, but we don't know.

"I have always said that the best years for a batsman are 27 to 35. Alastair will be 28 years of age [on 25 December] and has got all the best years in front of him."

Gooch, who mentored Cook through the youth system at Essex, says his protege's stellar performances are the product of hard graft.

"Over the last six years or so he's worked lots on his game, his technique, his knowledge and I think what you see now is a product of all the hard work that he's put in to shape that game," he said.

"What you saw in Mumbai was an exhibition of how to score runs on a turning wicket."

England only need a draw in the final Test, which starts on Thursday, to secure their first series victory in India since 1985.

But, with the pitch expected to turn from day one and produce a positive result, Gooch wants England to play for the win.

"I don't think for one minute that the guys think the job is done," he said. "We're 2-1 up with one to play. We want a positive result in Nagpur.

"I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying it's going to be a result pitch in Nagpur. If I was India I would want a result pitch to take my chances."

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255 comments

  • Comment posted by U15430877, at 11:32 10 Dec 2012

    @1 Cook is awesome, ye he isn't yet 'legendary' by simple virtue of the fact he is not yet even half way through his career. You can't compare Cook with Tendulkar now. But once the dust has settled on Cook's career, you can do that. What Gooch is saying is that if he sticks to his game he 'can' match him, and mark my words, he will do it. Cricket needs to stop being so precious about Sachin.

  • Comment posted by professorfart, at 14:31 10 Dec 2012

    It's perfectly OK to assess the future of a player of 86 tests and who has 23 centuries and 7000+ runs to his name.

    Were he a player like Phil Hughes who made a flying start to his career and had the media in a frenzy before he got worked out, then I could understand the caution.

    Cook is 40th in the all time test run scoring list, therefore to predict where he may finish is perfectly valid.

  • Comment posted by Linense, at 12:44 10 Dec 2012

    The point being Tendulkar is the modern bench mark for any batsman and an inspiration, Cook will be well aware of the fact Gooch is challenging him to continue his remarkable form.

  • Comment posted by mbodman, at 09:44 11 Dec 2012

    Will Cook ever be as pleasing on the eye as Tendulkar.....of course not, the man is an undoubted genius and will go down as one of if not the greatest player to ever pick up a cricket bat......Gooch hasn't argued this.

    But, what Cooky has in abundance is great mental strength and unmatched levels of concentration and I'd expect him to be around Tendulkars numbers when he retires.

  • Comment posted by laughingdevil, at 15:29 10 Dec 2012

    I'd rather be saying "future England batsmen will aspire to be like Cook" If he matches or bests Sachin or not is of no concern. He is a top player allready, and one of the best currently playing. It's not often in recent times England fans have been able to say that without looking sun-touched!

  • Comment posted by russkijim, at 15:27 10 Dec 2012

    @Sachin. Troll off back to IPL, there's a good lad. It's the only place where your vastly overrated and overindulged cricketers are able to perform. I reckon even Bangladesh would show more fight on their own turf

  • Comment posted by U14821909, at 15:20 10 Dec 2012

    I don't care if he matches Tendulkar or not.
    As long as he is playing well he will be in the team, giving him chances to score runs.
    If I was an Indian fan I would be furious now to see Tendulkar playing in my National Team.
    The man is borderline useless and tarnishing his career.
    Have they nobody else to take his place?

  • Comment posted by Mattzo, at 14:36 10 Dec 2012

    The potential is certainly there. Since the start of 2010/11 Ashes he's scored over 2700 runs at 68.57. Continue that level of performance for a few years and he'll be right up there.

    We'll just have to wait and see.

  • Comment posted by U7835759, at 14:29 10 Dec 2012

    There always seems to be a certain degree of messianic hubris spouted by Sachin's supporters on this site. Which is strange as it seems to be completely at odds with the man himself who always comes across as modest and unassuming.

    Predictions based on proportional likelihoods are not FACTS, they are ESTIMATES at best.

    So stop getting your knickers in a knot!

  • Comment posted by Ace21, at 12:25 10 Dec 2012

    And what a job Gooch has done, brilliant mentor and the guidance he has given Cook mentally and in his game have been superb, he couldn't have asked for someone to have more faith in him. Gooch's role in Cook's achievements sometimes gets overlooked but he deserves the plaudits too. And I think he'll be the proudest person when Cook overtakes his number of runs.

  • Comment posted by Ace21, at 12:14 10 Dec 2012

    I remember watching Cook on his debut and he looked so at home, I think he'll be in the top 5 run scorers ever and he has the potential to beat Sachin's record but having the potential and reaching it are two different things, he just needs to take one year at a time and then go for it if he is still in reach in 5 years time.

  • Comment posted by professorfart, at 11:53 10 Dec 2012

    Graham Smith is an interesting case.
    If some quarters are to be believed he is already starting to wind up his international career - speculation fuelled by his longterm deal with Surrey.
    At only 31 with 26 tons in a total of around 8500 test runs, I feel he could go on for a lot longer however maybe after 10 years at the helm of one of the more tempestuous ruling bodies could be taking its toll.

  • Comment posted by type-r, at 11:41 10 Dec 2012

    Cook definitely has the potential. He will almost certainly surpass Gooch as England's highest run scorer over the next 2-3 years and if he stays fits and has the desire, together with a bit of luck, he can reach the level Sachin has has. Good cricketer, has the mental side of the game nailed down, hopefully he will go on to be one of the greatest!

  • Comment posted by U15528727, at 11:36 10 Dec 2012

    Cook has at another 10 years at least, and it looks like Sachin time is coming to an end. As an opening batsman I'm not gonna bet against Cook to overtake Sachin's record.

    Although let's not forget there are other great young batsman out their e.g S.A's Smith.

  • Comment posted by professorfart, at 11:36 10 Dec 2012

    There's a long way to go as yet but seeing as he has a possible 10 years left in the game (maybe more), why not? He's in good shape and doesn't seem especially injury prone.
    With 10-12 tests per year in the modern era coupled with his liking/ability to convert hundreds into big hundreds, it's feasible.

    Hey, let's face it, pitches aren't going to get harder to bat on any time soon either...

  • Comment posted by Scholes is like fine wine he gets better with age, at 11:32 10 Dec 2012

    @1

    He said he can and has the potential to be as good as him. In 10-12 years time Cook may have another 20 odd centuries under his belt so he probably can be as good as him.

  • Comment posted by splendidsparrow, at 15:19 11 Dec 2012

    If Cook can maintain the torrid pace he's on, and remain fit, I see no reason why he cannot reach or surpass Tendulkar's stellar heights.

    I agree with Gooch that we have not yet seen the best in this youngman!

  • Comment posted by mbodman, at 14:24 11 Dec 2012

    @205

    I've never seen Muhammed Ali box does this lessen the man's greatness?

    As for Cooky not getting near 13,000 runs....you do the math, he can make 13,000 without doing anything extraordinary for the rest of his career.

  • Comment posted by U14821909, at 21:59 10 Dec 2012

    fallenstar. I love the way everytime England win a series we are playing against a side in transition.
    I love the way everytime we have a great player then the opposition is weaker than it has ever been in history.
    I love the way that when we finally became the worlds nr1 test team cricket had never been in such a sorry state.
    I love the way experts on here make predictions that never come true

  • Comment posted by U14973941, at 21:27 10 Dec 2012

    @160, you sir have an issue. Cook is one of the great gentleman of the game and this is not coming from an englishman. Okay he has been the main reason of why England is ahead in the series but thats his job, his the captain and he must lead his team to victory. Sachin has done that to India many times. hwver i do not see Cook matching Sachin's record, the little master is in league of his own.

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