Sachin at his best is better than Lara: Ponting

Australia captain and one of the top batsmen in world cricket ,Ricky Ponting, has praised the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar and placed him ahead of the West Indian legend, Brian Lara.

"I have always maintained that he (Tendulkar) at his best was fractionally ahead of Brian Lara at his best, and they are the best two batsmen I have played against," Ponting wrote in his 'Captain's Diary 2008'

The Aussie skipper said he tried to set up strategies to nail the highest run scorer in both formats of the game, but Tendulkar on most occasions was successful in decoding it.

"We have tried a wide variety of schemes and strategies, but he's usually had the answer to all of them...

"For me, right at the start of my Test career, it was a great experience just to see such a champion player going about his business in his conditions," he said in reference to a contest in Mumbai.

Ponting also lauded Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma for his awesome spell during the Perth Test. "Tall, lean, ultra-impressive Ishant Sharma, playing just his fourth Test and still eight-and-a half months short of his 20th birthday, had bowled an awesome spell to me: Seven overs when he was fast, aggressive and relentless, where I never felt as if I was truly in," he said.