Ricky Ponting: Brian Lara won more games than Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar (L) with Brian Lara

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting believes Brian Lara was better than Sachin Tendulkar because as captain he thought he could restrict Tendulkar but there was no way to restrict Lara.

Ponting, quoted by Evening Standard, said: “Sachin and Lara were the two stand-out batsmen for me. Lara won more games for his team than Sachin probably has. I’d lose more sleep as captain knowing Lara was coming in to bat next day than I would with Sachin.

“You always found a way to restrict Sachin if you needed to. Lara could turn it on in half an hour and take a game away from you. For me, it has never been about making hundreds, it is about winning games and series.”

Meanwhile, defeat in the first Ashes Test match has not shaken Ponting’s belief in the Australian team as he believes that the Aussies will win the series.

“I said 2-1 to Australia at the start and nothing has changed for me, no,” he concluded.