Tendulkar and Brian Lara are widely regarded as two of the greatest batters to have played the game.
While the Indian legend has 34357 international runs including 100 international centuries to his name, the Caribbean genius has 22358 international runs including the highest individual Test score (400*) and first-class score (501*).
Tendulkar and Lara might have fought for the No. 1 batting spot during their playing days, but they always shared a healthy rapport off the field.
On Saturday (November 12), the duo talked about their first impression of each other when they crossed path for the first time in Toronto in 1990.
"The first time I met Brian was in 1990 in Toronto. I had scored my first test 100 and just after that there was an exhibition game – West Indies vs Rest of the World. Saw him in the hotel lobby, the moment I saw him, we got along well. We both were the youngest players of our respective sides. It was easier for me to match eyelines with Brian rather than Ambrose, Walsh and other fast bowlers. Whenever we met after that, Brian would look out for me or I would do it. It's not the player that he is, it's actually the person he is. I value that friendship," Tendulkar said while speaking on the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.
"My first impression about Brian was his terrific balance. That agility in the crease, getting to the pitch of the ball, great hands, it's a God's gift," he added.
Lara too had special praise reserved for Sachin, calling him ‘the most accomplished Indian batter against fast bowling’ he had ever seen.
"When I met Sachin, he was already an established teenager. I was playing a lot of ODIs by then. Sachin said I was very small, fragile. I had the opportunity to hone my skills in one-dayers. My first impression of Sachin was that I had never seen an Indian batsman so accomplished against extreme fast bowling. Indian bowlers were good against spin but here was a teenager who scored runs against the best teams, bowling attacks in the world. From that day, I measured myself against Sachin. He was a few miles ahead of me at that time, I really wanted to be on par with him," he said.
While Brian Lara retired from international cricket in 2007, Sachin Tendulkar called time on his illustrious career in 2013.