Sachin Tendulkar is the acknowledged gold standard of cricket due to the sheer numbers he amassed as a batsman. He is the leading run-getter in ODIs and Tests, with 18426 runs in 463 ODIs and 15921 runs in 200 Tests. He has the most international centuries and is the only player to get to 100 international tons. When it comes to sheer numbers, very few can match up to Sachin Tendulkar’s gigantic run. However, in the first 63 Tests of Sachin Tendulkar’s career, there was one player who gave him a total run for his greatness.

One might think it was Ricky Ponting. Or Jacques Kallis. Or Brian Lara. However, the answer is none of those three. For a brief period in the start of the 21^st century, Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower staked claim to being one of the best wicketkeeper batsman in that era. The comparions are staggering. In 63 Tests, Tendulkar scored 4753 runs at an average of 54 with 17 centuries. Andy Flower, in that same period, scored 4794 runs at an average of 51 with 12 centuries.

2000 India vs Zimbabwe series

The 2000 series between India and Zimbabwe was a treat for batsen from both sides. In the first Test at Nagpur, Sachin Tendulkar smashed 201 but Andy Flower responded with a brilliant 232 in the second innings as Zimbabwe not only avoided the follow-on but managed to save the Test. Andy Flower’s 232 was the second-highest in Tests for Zimbabwe after Dave Houghton’s 266 while it was the fourth double ton by a Zimbabwe player, after Guy Whittall and his brother Grant Flower.

However, there are five players, including Andy, who debuted after Tendulkar’s arrival in international cricket, but ended their careers being in a better position. The other players are Pakistan’s Younis Khan, Brian Lara of the West Indies, Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka and Rahul Dravid of India in his 63-match Test career.