ONLY the irrational could challenge the claim that Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacque Kallis and Brian Lara are the top four batsmen of recent times; their imposing statistics bear testimony.

Though the masterly quartet began their international careers in the last century, it was in the 21st that their legacies as the premier batsmen of the modern era were indeed consolidated.

With respective Test centuries of 51, 44, 41 and 34, complemented by corresponding ODI tons of 49, 30, 17 and 19, these superstars boast cumulative international hundreds of 100, 74, 58 and 53 to be the dominant exponents of contemporary batting. Their Test averages of 54.60, 51.85, 56.92 and 52.88 bear interesting similarities.

Having superseded expectation and the imaginative realm, these eminent batsmen command a hallowed space in the annals of the sport and will be forever referenced within the context of greatness. As Lara demonstrated five years ago and Ponting a fortnight ago, however, nothing lasts forever and there is a time to say goodbye.

For it is possible for a sportsman to overstay his welcome and risk discrediting his accomplishments. In this respect, a critical factor is to know when to walk away, with the wise ones quitting while they are still on top, sparing themselves unnecessary embarrassment and trauma.

When Lara threw in the towel after the 2007 ICC World Cup, fans and pundits were convinced the 38-year-old multiple record-holder had a few tons left in his custom-made bat. Talk was that the team’s failure had frustrated Lara and triggered his premature retirement. The truth is, however, that the left-handed maestro was past his best and had scored his last Test and ODI centuries a good year and two years before, respectively.

Ponting, who turns 38 this week, followed suit following after a string of poor performances in Tests. Renowned as a fierce, unrelenting competitor, the former Aussie skipper had no illusions about his departure and grudgingly cited a protracted failure with the bat, having earlier quit the shorter formats of the game.

“Over the last couple of weeks my level of performance hasn’t been good enough. My passion and love for the game hasn’t changed, but at the end of the day the decision was based on my results,” Ponting said.

The difference is, Ponting really should have called time on his illustrious career a year or so earlier — perhaps when handing over the captaincy to Michael Clarke. For, despite chalking up his 40th and 41st tons last January against an out-of-sorts India, he never managed a ton the previous year and only scored one apiece in both 2009 and 2010.

Further, he was a shadow of himself in the recent series against South Africa and in fact, was more of a liability than an asset. This is below the usual standards of Australia’s leading Test run-getter and the player regarded as second only to the legendary Don Bradman. Out of respect for his eminent career, Ponting’s announcement was a welcomed relief for himself and the cricket fraternity.

Tendulkar, who hasn’t scored a Test ton since January, 2011 — almost two years ago — has likewise been struggling to recapture his best form in any version of the game. In fact, one recalls the almost one-year wait for his 100th international century, which was finally achieved in a ODI match against Bangladesh in March.

Undoubtedly, the Indian master has had a glittering career in which he broke almost all records on offer. He has the most Test runs and most centuries, and having played 192 matches, is way ahead of Steve Waugh and Ponting, who are joint-second with 168.

Having made his Test debut as a 16-year-old in 1989, Tendulkar is a 23-year veteran and is to be commended for sticking with the sport for over two decades. Sadly, however, it seems time has finally caught up with the prolific right-hander, who struggles to even find a half-century these days and in all fairness, should consider making way for the next generation.

In offering hope for an unlikely resuscitation, Tendulkar compiled a patient half-century in the first innings of the fourth Test against England. But as has obtained throughout the series, he was found wanting in the second innings and was dismissed once again for a single-digit score.

A player of Tendulkar’s stature should know the warning signs, and the logical question, therefore, is what else does he want to prove at this stage of his career? Ironically, as much as he is revered in India, he is hindering rather than helping the rebuilding process in the wake of the recent exits of Suarav Ganguly, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and company.

Sachin was once the consummate entertainer who evoked national pride and high emotions for his fans. To see him desperately trying to recapture past glories is, however, a little sad.