Everyone knows about the legend that is Sachin Tendulkar with the bat. During his long dominance at the international level across all formats of the game, the legendary opener has accumulated a plethora of records. This includes the record of 100 international centuries, something no current cricketer can ever come close to achieving in their careers, no matter how hard they try.
However, not many people have given Sachin due credit for his ability with the ball. Many do not even know that Sachin was a proven bowler, especially in Test cricket. Sometimes, he spun weaves around the batters with his off-break, leg-break, and even seam-up bowling.
The match that made Sachin the bowler
It was November 24, 1993, the first semifinal between India and South Africa in what was then known as the Hero Cup at the historic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. After a poor showing with the bat, scoring 15 off 31 balls, it spelt a massive collapse which India dismissed for a mere 195 runs, putting the onus on the might of South African stalwarts like Andrew Hudson, Brian McMillan and the late Hansie Cronje. But what Sachin could not do with the bat, he did with the ball.
Apart from Anil Kumble, who had bowled his quota of 10 overs, skipper Mohammad Azharuddin had many top bowlers to choose from. A message from coach Ajit Wadekar, who sent the 12th man with water and a message 'bowl Kapil,' did not help as the World Cup-winning all-rounder was reluctant, given that there was hardly anything to defend. It was then that Azharuddin chose to hand the ball to 20-year-old Sachin Tendulkar, who was tasked with defending six runs in the final over of the match.
Undoubtedly those six balls bowled by Tendulkar shot him to glory.
What made his achievement even more special was that Sachin had not even bowled earlier in that game. At the crease were Fanie de Villiers and McMillan, with the latter going strong. Off the first ball, he managed to run out de Villiers, bringing Allan Donald to the crease. However, the proteas crumbled under the pressure.
Donald failed to rotate the strike to the in-form McMillan, and with 3 runs needed off the final ball, he managed to beat the batter for a third straight time to gain yet another victory to their name. crumbled under pressure.
Eventually, India defeated West Indies in the final and won the Hero Cup.
Sachin has been a maestro with the ball, although it has gone unnoticed on most occasions. He delivered for India with the ball when he failed with the bat. He has taken exactly 200 wickets across all the formats for India.
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