5 times Sachin Tendulkar was denied a century by part-time spinners

It is hard to argue against the fact that Sachin Tendulkar was the best batsman of his generation. The biggest evidence of his superiority was the fact that no bowler, fast or slow, was ever able to dominate him or establish an edge over him.

No matter what the conditions were, Sachin always showed the capability to score runs and do that with style. In his career, he had to battle with a long list of great bowlers – McGrath, Warne, Walsh, Ambrose, Donald, Pollock, Akram, Younis, Muralitharan, Vaas, and Steyn.

Apart from these great names, he also faced many others who were also extremely good and in today’s cricket would be regarded among the best.

Yet, none of them, or any other was able to pin down Tendulkar. He was able to score runs against all of them in all conditions. But there was one curious anomaly in his career. While he dealt with the skills and wiles of the best in the business there were occasions when he got out to innocuous part-timers.

Interestingly, most of these happened to be spinners. How do you explain the fact that a man who mastered the greatest leg-spinner of all time – Shane Warne – and seemed at ease against the greatest off-spinner – Muttiah Muralitharan – failing to part-time tweakers.

It seems even more improbable that such things would happen when he is well set. But they did happen! Maybe, when you are as good as Sachin and well-set, some complacency sets in while facing non-frontline bowlers. This is probably why, on some occasions, Sachin became a victim to these otherwise non-threatening spinners.

Here is a list of 5 occasions when Sachin was denied a hundred by part-time tweakers.

By Mark Waugh (1996 World Cup)

Sachin looked in fluent touch before being dismissed by Mark Waugh

Sachin was ruling the world of batting when the 1996 World Cup came around. Almost every match saw him produce a good inning. In a round-robin game against the eventual runners-up Australia at Mumbai, Sachin was in full flow again.

India were given a target of 259 to chase under lights. Tendulkar was batting imperiously and playing breathtaking strokes. Bowlers such as McGrath, Fleming, and Warne were bearing the brunt of these stunning shots.

14 fours and one six came off the bat of Tendulkar, peppering every part of the outfield. Sachin raced to his fifty and looked all set to score a hundred and was at 90 off just 84 balls. Australia had, by then, resorted to part-time bowlers.

One of them, Mark Waugh, was bowling innocuous off-breaks. Then, Sachin decided to come down the wicket against Waugh, possibly with the intention of hitting a six. But the part-time offie cleverly threw the ball way outside the off-stump and the great batsman, despite his late attempts, couldn’t block it.

The ball went through to Ian Healy, the wicketkeeper, and he promptly stumped the little master. The crowd was silenced and Sachin not only missed a century but also had to watch his team lose the match.

#1. By Michael Vaughan (2nd Test, 2002)

After scoring a splendid 92, Sachin was, amazingly, bowled by Vaughan

Michael Vaughan was a beautiful batsman to watch. Occasionally, he turned his arm over to bowl off-spin. The second Test of the 4-match series between India and England, played at Nottingham, was a special game for him.

In England’s first innings, Vaughan scored a majestic 197 to lead his team to a massive 617 and a lead of 260. The visitors were under pressure now.

Sachin was going through a patch of bad form and questions were being raised as to whether he is facing serious terminal problems. A spate of low scores from him in the previous series – in West Indies – was followed by poor returns in the first Test at Lords.

He fell for 34 in the first innings. But when the second opportunity came around, Tendulkar seemed to have regained his spark. He was batting superbly and looked set to end his century drought by getting to three figures.

He was batting on 92 off 112 balls and had formed a 163-run partnership with Rahul Dravid. Then something shocking happened. Vaughan, on back of his heroics with the bat, bowled an off-spinning delivery which Sachin attempted to play for an off-drive. The ball snuck through the gate and bowled him.

Sachin had to walk back dejectedly but his team managed to save the game. Vaughan was so overjoyed with the feat of scalping Tendulkar’s wicket that, after the day’s play, he went to the Indian legend with the ball with which he had got him out and requested his autograph. Tendulkar obliged. According to the little master, Vaughan reminds him of this event every time they meet.

#2. By Grant Flower (2003 World Cup)

A smooth inning of 81 by Tendulkar was cut short by Grant Flower

Both Sachin Tendulkar and his team entered the 2003 World Cup played in Africa in poor form. Sachin was put back into his usual opener’s position for the big event and he started it with a half-century in India’s opening game against the Netherlands.

He was also the leading scorer for his team in their decimation by Australia in the team’s second match. After that disappointing loss, India needed to reboot their World Cup campaign and this started with their third game against Zimbabwe at Harare.

The hosts won the toss and put India in to bat. Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag got India off to a good start. Sachin was playing well within himself and avoided risky strokes. There were hardly any lofted shots from his bat.

But thanks to his great ability, he was still able to play a smooth inning. By the time he moved into the 80’s, a hundred seemed very likely. But then, Grant Flower, a very capable batsman, and a useful part-time left-arm spinner bowled a beautiful delivery that pitched around middle stump and hit the top of middle and off to dismiss Tendulkar for 81.

This was a shocking blow for Indian fans and must have been so for Sachin too. Thankfully for him, his team performed well and managed an easy win. A hundred though was missed.

#3. By Marcus North (1st Test, 2010)

Sachin missed a hundred due to an innocuous ball from Marcus North

When Australia came to India for a 2-game Test series in late 2010, Sachin was once again in the prime of his form. This ‘second wind’ had seen him achieve amazing milestones like scoring hundreds in four consecutive Tests and becoming the first man ever to register an ODI double hundred.

Against his favorite opponents – Australia – he was looking to continue his good form. He did that emphatically. Tendulkar scored a brilliant double hundred in the second Test of the series at Bengaluru.

But he could have had another century in the very first game also. This match was played at Mohali and India had to bat second after conceding 428 in the first innings. As expected, Sachin led India’s reply and played another beautiful inning.

Those were the days when every time he walked out to bat, a century seemed likely. This time was no different. Batting without any difficulty, Sachin was marching towards another ton. When he was at 98, Marcus North, who played 21 Tests for Australia as a middle-order batsman and occasional off-spinner, bowled to him.

North, who had a six-for to his name but ended his career with just 14 wickets, delivered an innocuous-looking off-break. Sachin tried to turn it onto the on-side but, unfortunately, he missed it. The little master was caught plumb in front of the wickets and adjudged lbw.

Perhaps, he was keen to get to three figures and thought about just pushing the ball onto the leg side for a single or two. Whatever the case, he ended up giving North the biggest scalp of his career and missed what would have been his 49th Test ton.

#4. By Michael Clarke (2nd Test, 2012)

Sachin was denied his 100th hundred at SCG by Michael Clarke.

When India’s tour to Australia in 2011/12 came around, Sachin was on the cusp of scoring his 100th international hundred. It was clear that the impending record was having a negative effect on his batting.

However, he was still batting beautifully and whenever he got himself set at the wicket, looked as comfortable as any batsman. Same was the case during the 2nd Test of the 4-match series at Sydney.

Tendulkar came out to bat in the second innings and looked perfectly at ease. He got to his fifty without any trouble and the overhyped 100th century seemed a matter of time. The Australian captain Michael Clarke decided to bowl a few overs of left-arm spin himself.

Tendulkar was batting on 80 and had already struck 9 boundaries. Then as all his fans looked on, hoping to see their hero get to three figures and end the incessant noise about the 100th hundred, and then save the match for his team, tragedy struck.

Clarke bowled a nice delivery that pitched around off stump, straightened and bounced. Sachin prodded forward, a little tentatively, while the ball caught the outside edge of the bat and looped to first slip where Michael Hussey took an easy catch.

Tendulkar’s friend and long-time teammate Sourav Ganguly said Tendulkar should have been more aggressive against Clarke. It did indeed seem that as the great man got close to his hundred, the fluency of his batting decreased and a measure of caution came into it.

This may have been the result of the pressure to rid himself of the milestone which had become a millstone around his neck. Probably, Tendulkar thought about safely reaching the 100 and then carrying on his good work. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out for him.