How Many Times Did Sachin Tendulkar Get Out in the 90s?

Understanding the Nervous Nineties

Although Tendulkar’s Test records speak for themselves, he was one of those players that, more often than not, struggled to clock up centuries when at the crease in his 90s.

The term ‘Nervous Nineties’ is a phenomenon that has been a big talking point in the game more recently. Some studies have shown batters tense up and change their behaviour when they get close to reaching a significant milestone. On the other hand, when players pass a big milestone, they tend to relax, and for Test cricket, that can be dangerous as mistakes start to creep in.

One of the defining characteristics of ‘Nervous Nineties’ has been the slowdown in strike rates which has often been misinterpreted as choking. Nevertheless, the idea of choking isn’t limited to cricket; it is evident across many sports where teams or players fall just short as they near the winning line.

Tendulkar got out 27 times in the 90s in his international career which illustrates how he struggled to convert to tons and that was ultimately a big talking point. In the following section, we have provided a statistical breakdown of Tendulkar getting out in the 90s.

 Peter Siddle of Australia celebrates the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar/Getty Images

Statistical Breakdown

As mentioned, Tendulkar was dismissed 27 times in the 90s across Tests and ODIs. In Tests, there was more of an equal split across Tendulkar being caught or being trapped lbw, as our table shows:

Memorable Instances

One of the most memorable instances of Tendulkar being in the 90s and getting out was when he fell to Umar Gul. The Pakistan paceman, who enjoyed a 17-year international career, denied Tendulkar a well-deserved century in an ODI clash in 2007. Just one short of his century, Tendulkar nicked one behind to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, and he walked off the field in disappointment.

Another memorable occasion was in a Test match against Australia in 2010. Marcus North pitched a quicker spin delivery (90km/h) that confused Tendulkar who was trapped lbw for 98. The frustration was clear on Tendulkar’s face and the crowd were left stunned when he headed back to the pavilion.

Impact on Tendulkar’s Career 

At the time, Tendulkar’s dismissals in the 90s would have been incredibly frustrating as he was very hard on himself. He loved to score runs, and they came in all sorts of ways. Beautiful cover drives, pulling when rocking on to his back leg, and so forth.

He was very different to Rahul Dravid, known as ‘The Wall’ and VVS Laxman, who didn’t mind digging in to score centuries even if his strike rate was lower.

Despite that, Tendulkar handled setbacks well. He was very strong mentally, and that is something that has been commonly brought up. Tendulkar’s ODI journey, for example, was very successful and he became the first batsman to score a double century. Overall, he ended his career with seven double centuries, and six of these came in Tests.

Comparison with Other Greats

Tendulkar deserves his place among the greats of the game. He is the highest run scorer in history across ODIs and Tests, and his records aren’t in danger of being broken anytime soon.

We have produced a table comparing the number of times Tendulkar got out against the 90s along with other master batsmen. We have also noted the total number of centuries they scored in Tests and ODIs.