James Anderson, who still believes in the "God of Cricket," dismissed claims that any of the current "Big Four"—Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson—were superior to Sabhin Tendulkar.

During his 21-year career, England's renowned fast bowler James Anderson enjoyed his meetings with Sachin Tendulkar and the Fab Four. But Anderson had a straightforward response when it came to deciding who was the finest of them: Tendulkar all day.

“Where do those four (Kohli, Root, Smith, Kane) compare with Tendulkar?" asked TalkSport, to which Anderson, without a second’s thought, replied, “Just below Tendulkar".

Since the early 2010s, "The Fab Four" players have controlled international cricket, improving batting standards in all formats.

But any conversation about batting brilliance eventually brings up Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian cricket legend who is frequently referred to as the "God of Cricket."

With 34,357 international runs—the most of any player—and 100 international centuries (51 in Test matches and 49 in ODIs) across a 24-year career, Sachin Tendulkar's statistics record is still unmatched.

On the other hand, despite their remarkable qualities, the Big Four continue to strive for some of these milestones in an attempt to surpass Tendulkar.

Virat Kohli is the closest as of mid-2025, having amassed over 26,000 runs and 80+ international hundreds. Since Bradman, Steve Smith's Test batting average has been among the highest. With more than 12,000 Test runs under his belt, Joe Root is England's batting backbone. Finally, Kane Williamson, though less flashy, is New Zealand’s most consistent batsman ever.

Even for this exclusive group, Tendulkar's records are still aspired to.

Sachin Tendulkar is a timeless standard, but the Big Four are the batting pinnacle of the modern era.  Despite their excellent adaptation, the Big Four are still heavily influenced by Tendulkar's legacy despite playing in a faster-paced, more commercialized era.