Five batsmen who never got out in 'nervous nineties' in Tests

The cricketing fraternity has witnessed innumerable batsmen getting dismissed in the horrifying 'nervous nineties'. Batsmen toil relentlessly to churn out spirited batting performances and marching back to the pavilion unaccomplished, out in the nineties in never a pleasant feeling. Sachin Tendulkar unluckily fell in the nineties a staggering ten times in his decorated international Test career to go with an astonishing 17 times in ODIs.

However, there are also some prominent gentlemen in the history of cricket who have managed to achieve the rare feat of never being dismissed between 90 to 100. Whenever these ear-marked batsmen approached the nineties, they have always accomplished the distinguished three-figure-mark.

We have a look at five batsmen who never got out in the nineties in Tests:

Sir Don Bradman

Sir Don Bradman

Legendary Australian cricketer Sir Don Bradman was extensively acknowledged as the greatest batsmen of generations altogether. Though he dramatically missed the incredible record of an average of 100 by a whisker in his ultimate essay, his mind-boggling total of 99.94 more than justifies his finesse as an incredible batsman. Bradman bid farewell to the game with just under 7000 runs in the purest format. In the first-class arena, the veteran pulverized the oppositions with 117 tons and 69 half-centuries at a tremendous average of 95.

Amongst other incredible feats, Bradman holds the magnificent record of never getting dismissed in the nineties in Test cricket. While he reached the nineties on 29 occasions in his Test career, he progressed on to the magical three figures each time.

---

Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell

Famed for his disciplined approach to the onerous art of batsmanship, the legendary Greg Chappell was one of the superior batsmen Australia has ever produced. One of the most prolific run-getters in cricketing history, the dynamic stroke-maker accumulated over 7000 runs in the longest version of the game.

Chappell's sublime back-foot stroke-play gained him immense accreditation throughout the cricketing fraternity. His penchant for the perfection of technique and competent physical fitness enabled him to churn out gargantuan knocks with little effort.

The Adelaide-born peers the unique group of cricketers who have never lost their wicket in the nineties. The flamboyant right-hander notched up 24 glorious centuries in his splendid international Test career without ever falling prey to the dreadful 'nervous nineties'.

---

Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan

Predominantly classical in his approach, former England captain Michael Vaughan was hailed amongst the best in the business of the cricketing world. Boasting of 7,728 international runs across formats, the Yorkshire local was esteemed for his uber-cool demeanour.

His rock-solid temperament and technical competence were the prominent reasons behind his flourishing escalation to the apex of world rankings. Vaughan etched his name in golden characters in the British history books leading England to a dominating Ashes series victory in 2005 only after former talisman Mike Gatting.

Notching up 18 centuries in 147 Test innings, Vaughan was never dismissed in the nineties in his remarkable Test career spanning over 8 years.

---

Sir Ian Botham

Sir Ian Botham

Renowned for ferocious striking abilities alongside his lethal medium-pace bowling, Ian Botham is acclaimed as one of the greatest all-rounders in cricketing history. Owing to his marvellous performances with the bat and ball in the prestigious Ashes of 1981 to seal a thrilling victory, the series is often referred to as the 'Botham's Ashes'.

Regarded as the finest swing bowler of his generation, the England stalwart claimed a stupendous 383 Test wickets in 102 matches. Ian Botham was also deservedly inducted into the prestigious ICC 'Hall of Fame' in 2009.

The exuberant multi-dimensional all-rounder scored 14 Test centuries in his international Test career without ever getting dismissed in the 'nervous nineties'. Botham hung his boots with 5200 runs in the purest format of the game.

---

Polly Umrigar

Polly Umrigar

Indian veteran Polly Umrigar was a talented middle-order batsman who captained the nation in eight Test matches from 1955 to 1958. The elegant dasher, hailing from Solapur, could also roll his arm over for some quality off-spin bowling if the need arose.

Before calling time on his international career, the virtuoso had already amassed more Test runs (3,631) than any other Indian player. The gangly Parsee enjoyed a wide repertoire of strokes on both sides of the wicket and his ingenious ability to nonchalantly clear the ropes made him stand apart from the crowd.

Concluding his international career with 12 Test centuries, the former skipper also holds the record for scoring the first-ever double century by an Indian in Test cricket (223 vs New Zealand). Polly Umrigar was never dismissed between 90 to 100 in Tests. Interestingly, he once fell short of a majestic double hundred getting out on 199 at the Port of Spain.

Also see - Live cricket score