When Sachin Tendulkar ended as the second highest wicket-taker in a Test series

The world of cricket remembers Sachin Tendulkar as perhaps the greatest batsmen to have ever lived. The ‘Master Blaster’ had a glorious 24-year-long career for India and broke many records. Tendulkar remains the highest run-getter in Test and ODI cricket and scored over 34,000 international runs from his 664 outings at the highest level.

Tendulkar’s remarkable exploits with the bat are well known but his contribution as a bowler is seldom acknowledged or talked about. Sachin Tendulkar bagged 201 international wickets, including 46 in Tests, one in his solitary outing in T20Is. But it was in the ODIs that Tendulkar the medium-pacer turned spinner produced his best and took 154 wickets.

In an era where teams like India depended heavily on their part-timers to make up the quota of the fifth bowler, Sachin Tendulkar was the most skillful of the lot. Tendulkar could bowl seam up, deliver off-spin and also become a leg-spinner as per the situation’s demand. And do all of that with good control and consistency.

Also Read: When Sachin Tendulkar Battled Physical Pain To Help India Lift 2008 CB Series Title

Tendulkar beautifully combined his impressive command over craft with his excellent understanding of the game to pose a challenge for the opposition batsmen. He took 123 ODI wickets against the top 8 nations at an appreciable economy rate of 5.06 while delivering nearly 6 overs per innings.

Weird facts: Sachin Tendulkar bowled more deliveries in ODIs than a few legends

Tendulkar is one of those rare part-timers who could boast of two five-wicket hauls. He took one against Australia and the other versus Pakistan, with the latter being renowned players of spin. Among all spinners to have played for India, Tendulkar is still the country’s fourth-highest wicket-taker, behind only Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja and ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin. Globally, Sachin Tendulkar is 20th in the list of highest spin wicket-takers.

It’s reflective of Tendulkar’s longevity and unquestionable skillset that he, notably, bowled more deliveries in ODIs than some of the game’s prominent names, including Malcolm Marshal, Imran Khan, Shoaib Akhtar, Dale Steyn, Lance Klusener, Mitchell Johnson. Tendulkar’s tally of 8,054 ODI deliveries is higher than Marshal (7,175), Imran (7,461), Akhtar (7,764), Johnson (7,489), Steyn (6,256) and Klusener (7,336).

Another weird but remarkable fact about Sachin Tendulkar the spinner is from the yet memorable 2001 Test series at home against Australia. Everyone remembers how a young Harbhajan Singh dominated the best batting line-up in the world at the time – taking a whopping 32 wickets at 17.03 per piece. But it isn’t so fresh in memories that Tendulkar was only second to the turbanator among wicket-takers for India.

In a series where stalwarts Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath were missing, Harbhajan emerged as a hero for Sourav Ganguly and his team and became an overnight star of Indian cricket. However, Tendulkar also chipped in with very crucial and timely breakthroughs, delivering a spell of 3/31 on the final day of the unforgettable Kolkata Test.

Tendulkar dismissed Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne in his 11 overs and provided an able hand at the other end, with Harbhajan, of course, proving to be the chief destroyer.

Left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan also took 3 wickets in that series but his came at a significantly higher cost than Tendulkar, whose spell ensured India completed their inspirational turnaround at the Eden Gardens and eventually won the historic series 2-1.