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Navjot Singh Sidhu recalls an incident that showed how obsessed Sachin Tendulkar was with strengthening any weakness in his game.
Sachin Tendulkar is international cricket’s most prolific run-getter. (AFP Photo)
Twice within the space of 12 months, India have endured a whitewash in a Test series at home. Their batters have been exposed and located lacking the technique and skill required to take care of bowlers on tracks conducive for spin bowling. It’s a far cry from the times when Indian batters were known for his or her prowess in taming spinners.
Besides the natural ability, the willingness to obsessively address weaknesses and counter the strategies employed against them was their hallmark. Former India batter Navjot Singh Sidhu has recalled an incident from his playing days involving Sachin Tendulkar that showed how committed the batting legend was to the sport.
During a Test against Sri Lanka, all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya, who bowled left-arm spin, frustrated Tendulkar by bowling a negative line and the Indian countered by attempting to play the pull shot which proved to be his undoing.
A dejected Tendulkar was deeply impacted by the dismissal.
“He (Tendulkar) was tied down by Sanath Jayasuriya in a Test match where I used to be batting on the non-striker’s end. He kept bowling outside the leg stump. Tendulkar got frustrated, tried to drag, and got out because he didn’t know the right way to sweep,” Sidhu told Sportstar.
“He was sitting within the dressing room after the sport. Everybody had left, but he was still there. Ajit Wadekar sir, the then team manager, asked me to get him into the team bus. I went as much as him, and he said, ‘Aisa nahi chalega (This cannot carry on going).’ I replied, ‘Kya ho gaya, ek out hi hua, koi chakkar nahi hai (It’s nothing, you simply got out once, no sweat). He was bowling negative, don’t worry.’,” he added.
But Tendulkar, whose pride was hurt, wasn’t going to let go.
“He (Tendulkar) called up 10 spinners, all left-armers, from Chandigarh. He reached the bottom at seven within the morning and was just sweeping, sweeping, sweeping. I had never seen him sweep before,” Sidhu said.
“There was an incident during dinner. I used to be there, Sanjay (Manjrekar) was there, (Ajay) Jadeja was there. And together with his fork, Sachin was doing this (imitating a sweep shot),” Sidhu added.
Sidhu felt the present Indian Test team must discover a technique to get back to where they were.
“That’s called living one idea, respiratory one idea, sleeping one idea. That’s commitment. Cricket was Tendulkar’s life. Getting out like that was a blow to his self-esteem. And what hurts your pride should hurt,” he said.
“India losing at home should hurt too. However it’s not about just wanting to return to where you were. It’s about finding the means to get there. When you care for the means, the goal takes care of itself. And the means are exactly what I’ve spoken about,” he concluded.
Click here so as to add News18 as your chosen news source on Google. December 11, 2025, 12:08 IST
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