Stats don't lie: Sachin Tendulkar or Brian Lara - Who is the greatest?

Overall it's a close race. In fact, there is very little to separate them.

Lara and Sachin were toasts of their respective nations during their playing days. They were match winners for their teams and headache for the opposition.

If Sachin put in more match-winning performances in one day cricket then Lara did the same in Test cricket.

Stats mentioned here might not be conclusive in choosing one of the two. But, they do tell a story, that both were greats.