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*New Delhi:* _Sachin Tendulkar_ is slightly ahead of batting greats _Brian Lara_ and _Ricky Ponting_, former India captain _Sunil Gavaskar_ said in an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN on Wednesday.
"I think apart from Sir _Garfield Sobers_, nobody has played 20 years of international cricket," Gavaskar said. "And 20 years of playing at the highest level and playing at the highest standards - that is an achievement beyond compare."
Gavaskar hoped Tendulkar continues playing for a few more years.
"No praise can be too high for this young man," he said. "He is young, because as far as his enthusiasm for the game is concerned, I think he's almost child-like. That's what keeps him going on and on. I hope he keeps going for a few more years."
Gavaskar praised former West Indies captain _Brian Lara_ and Australian skipper _Ricky Ponting_ as greats of the modern game, but said Tendulkar stands ahead of them for the years of international cricket he has behind him.
"Look at the way _Brian Lara_ won matches for the West Indies and the way _Ricky Ponting_ has been batting and winning matches for Australia, both in Test and one-day cricket," he said.
"They are fantastic batsmen. But I think Tendulkar is just a bit ahead of them," Gavaskar said in a tribute to Tendulkar, who completes 20 years in international cricket on November 15.
Gavaskar said Ponting can overtake Tendulkar only if he is able to play two decades of international cricket.
"Lara is retired now, but if Ponting can play 20 years, he will have all the records in the book and he'll go past even Tendulkar."
_Sachin Tendulkar_ is 49 runs short of completing 30,000 runs in international cricket. The master batsman eclipsed West Indies batting great _Brian Lara_ to become the leading run-getter in Test cricket last year.
In one-day cricket, Tendulkar, who recently completed 17,000 runs, is well ahead of second placed _Sanath Jayasuriya_ of Sri Lanka.
Tendulkar has 87 international hundreds to boast of. He took over from _Sunil Gavaskar_ himself in 2005 when he scored his 35th Test century. He has been the leading centurion in one-day cricket for over a decade, when he broke West Indian _Desmond Haynes_' record of 17 ODI centuries.
Tendulkar's last one-day hundred came against Australia in Hyderabad last week, his blistering innings of 175 not enough to save India from defeat in the fifth one-dayer.
Australia won the seven-match series 4-2 after the seventh and final ODI was washed out in Mumbai on Wednesday.
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