The Agonizing Nineties: A Look at Sachin Tendulkar’s Nervous 90s Batting Stats

Sachin Tendulkar, widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, had an illustrious 24-year career in international cricket. He holds numerous batting records, including being the leading run scorer in Tests and ODIs.

However, one statistic that many Sachin fans are less proud of is the number of times he got out on 99 runs. Dismissals at the nervous nineties can be frustrating for any batsman, but for a player of Sachin’s caliber, getting out one run short of a century multiple times was almost unfathomable.

So how many times did Sachin Tendulkar get out on 99? Let’s take a detailed look at Sachin’s dismissals in the nervous nineties.

🏏 Sachin’s Unfortunate Dismissals on 99

In total, Sachin Tendulkar got out on 99 seven times in his career. This includes five times in ODIs and two times in Test matches. He remains the only player in international cricket to get out on 99 as many as seven times.

Here is a quick overview of Sachin’s seven dismissals on 99:

• 5 times in ODIs
• 2 times in Tests

Now let’s look at each of these heartbreaking 99 dismissals in more detail:

🏏 1. 94 ODI vs South Africa in Morocco, 1993

Sachin’s first dismissal on 99 came in just his 79th ODI innings. He was playing against South Africa in Morocco in 1993 when he was caught by Jonty Rhodes off Brian McMillan’s bowling. Sachin scored 99 off 97 balls, including 9 fours and 1 six.

🏏 2. 99 ODI vs Pakistan in Kanpur, 2005

This 99 dismissal came in Sachin’s 354th ODI innings. He was caught by Younis Khan off Abdul Razzaq while attempting to cut the ball. Sachin’s 99 came off just 88 balls and included 11 fours.

🏏 3. 99 ODI vs Pakistan in Peshawar, 2006

Two ODIs later, Sachin again found himself dismissed on 99 against arch-rivals Pakistan. This time, he was caught by Mohammad Asif off Shoaib Malik’s bowling. Sachin’s 99 comprised 8 fours and came off only 57 balls.

🏏 4. 99 ODI vs South Africa in Belfast, 2007

At the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Sachin was again dismissed one short of a ton. He was caught by Herschelle Gibbs off Makhaya Ntini while attempting a cover drive. Sachin’s 99 in this game included 12 fours.

🏏 5. 99 ODI vs New Zealand in Hyderabad, 2010

In his 442nd ODI innings, Sachin was again caught out on 99. This time it was Martin Guptill who took the catch off Tim Southee’s bowling. Sachin’s sparkling 99 came off just 90 balls with the help of 9 fours and 1 six.

🏏 6. 99 Test vs England in Leeds, 1990

Sachin’s first Test dismissal on 99 came during India’s 1990 tour of England. He was caught by wicket-keeper Jack Russell off Chris Lewis’ bowling. Sachin’s 99 comprised 8 fours and came off 209 balls.

🏏 7. 99 Test vs Bangladesh in Dhaka, 2004

14 years later, Sachin suffered the agony of being dismissed for 99 again in Test cricket. In the 2nd Test against Bangladesh in 2004, he was caught by Hannan Sarkar off Mohammad Rafique’s left-arm spin. Sachin’s 99 in this innings had 10 fours and came off 133 balls.

So in summary, Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed one run short of a century seven painful times in his incredible cricket career spanning two decades. Five of these dismissals came in ODIs and two were in Test matches.

📊 Sachin’s Batting Stats in the 90s

Now let’s look at Sachin’s overall batting statistics in the high-pressure 90s zone:

• Tests: Sachin scored 19 centuries between 90 and 99. He was dismissed 7 times in the 90s.
• ODIs: He scored 49 tons from 90 to 99. He got out in the 90s on 15 occasions.

So while Sachin had his share of nervous nineties’ dismissals, he still managed to cross the three-figure mark a record 68 times in international cricket (51 in ODIs and 17 in Tests).

However, those seven 99 dismissals remain one of the few blots on Sachin’s otherwise peerless batting numbers in his phenomenal career.

⚾ 5 Reasons Why Sachin Got Out on 99 Multiple Times

Getting out on 99 can be attributed to multiple factors. Here are 5 main reasons why Sachin Tendulkar suffered this fate on several occasions:

1. Pressure of Milestone

The pressure and nerves of reaching a personal milestone like a century could have possibly led Sachin to play rash shots on a few occasions.

2. Quality Bowling

Sachin was dismissed by some world-class bowlers like McMillan, Razzaq, Shoaib, and Ntini while he was in the nervous nineties.

3. Lapses in Concentration

Momentary lapses in concentration as he neared the century mark may have caused Sachin’s downfall.

4. Attacking Instincts

Sachin’s natural attacking instincts often led him to play aggressive shots as he neared 100, causing his dismissal.

5. Bad Luck

Cricket, like life, is a game of uncertainties. Sachin may have just been unlucky on some days in the 90s.

So in summary, a mix of pressure, quality bowling, lack of concentration, aggression, and plain bad luck accounts for Sachin’s multiple 99 dismissals in international cricket.

🤔 How Sachin Dealt with Nervous Nineties’ Failures

Getting out one run short of a ton can be demoralizing for any batsman. However, Sachin had the mental strength and fortitude to not let these failures bog him down. Here is how Sachin dealt with nervous nineties’ heartbreaks during his career:

• Did not dwell on failures for too long and moved on quickly
• Stayed positive and focused on the next game/opportunity
• Analyzed his mistakes to improve and adapt his game
• Relied on mental toughness and self-belief to bounce back
• Trusted his natural instincts as a batsman

Sachin’s ability to learn from mistakes and failures enabled him to scale phenomenal heights as one of the game’s greatest run machines despite regular nervous nineties’ dismissals.

🏆 Sachin’s Batting Records & Achievements

While Sachin’s seven 99 dismissals may seem like blots for a batsman of his stature, his overall batting records and feats remain unparalleled:

• Most runs in Tests (15,921) and ODIs (18,426)
• Most hundreds in Tests (51) and ODIs (49)
• First batsman to score 100 international centuries (51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs)
• Only batsman to score 100 centuries in international cricket
• Holds the record for most half-centuries in Tests (68) and ODIs (96)
• First batsman to score a double century in ODIs (200* vs South Africa in 2010)
• Only batsman to complete over 30,000 runs in international cricket

So despite being dismissed seven times at the doorstep of a century, Sachin’s batting records, achievements and overall impact on the game remain undisputed. He will go down as arguably the greatest and most complete batsman in cricket history.

💬 Quotes by Sachin on Getting Out in the Nervous Nineties

Let’s look at some quotes by Sachin himself on his nervous nineties’ heartbreaks:

“I hated getting out in the nineties. Just hated it. After getting out on 96 against Pakistan once, I went back to my room and actually cried.”

“I didn’t sleep a wink that night. I kept thinking about it the whole night and asked myself ‘why did I play that stroke?'”

“Getting out in the nineties felt worse than getting a zero.”

“For me, a century was a personal milestone, and getting out in the nineties really hurt.”

“But over time, I learnt to take failures including nineties’ dismissals objectively. It made me more determined and helped me evolve as a batsman.”

These quotes sum up how much getting out in the nineties hurt Sachin throughout his career. But it also shows that he learned from these painful failures and emerged as a stronger batsman

 How Did Sachin’s 99 Dismissals Impact His Batting Career?

While Sachin despised getting out in the nineties, these failures helped shape him into the batting genius he became. Here’s how the 99 dismissals impacted his batting:

Made Him Mentally Tougher

The pain of nervous nineties’ failures made Sachin mentally strong. He didn’t allow them to bog him down.

Improved His Concentration

After losing his wicket in the 90s a few times, Sachin worked hard to improve his concentration as he neared centuries.

Helped Him Remain Grounded

The 99 dismissals ensured Sachin never took his batting for granted and kept working hard.

Made Him Choose Shots More Carefully

Getting out playing rash strokes in the 90s taught Sachin to be more judicious as milestones approached.

Strengthened His Technique

To avoid 99 dismissals, Sachin worked tirelessly on technical aspects like defense and shot selection.

So in many ways, the nervous nineties’ failures shaped Sachin into the complete batsman he went on to become, despite the heartbreaks.

🏏 How Sachin Batted in the Nervous Nineties

While Sachin hated getting out in the nineties, he still scored a mountain of runs in the nervous zone between 90 and 99. Let’s see how he approached batting in the nineties:

• Played as normal and did not overthink
• Looked to score singles and rotate strike
• Avoided risky strokes as he entered the nineties
• Batted steadily within his limits as he neared 100
• Favored conventional shots over unorthodox strokes
• Trusted his defense and footwork in the nervy nineties
• Did not let pressure of milestone affect his game

Sachin’s ability to score runs freely yet cautiously in the nineties allowed him to notch up a record 68 international centuries despite seven painful 99 dismissals.

🤷‍♂️ Why 99 and Not a Round 100?

An intriguing question is why Sachin got out on 99 specifically seven times. Why not 96, 97, 98 or a round 100?

Here are some plausible theories:

The Pressure of a Century

The century mark itself subconsciously made Sachin a bit more nervous.

Trying to Hit Milestone Shot

Eagerness to get the single for 100 may have caused Sachin’s downfall at 99.

Lapse of Concentration

As the magic ton approached, momentary lapses in concentration possibly crept in.

Rushing In Excitement

In the excitement of reaching 100, Sachin threw it away on 99 on a few occasions.

Testing Fate

At times Sachin seemed to be testing his fate and luck in the nineties.

So the nerves and excitement of scoring a ton possibly made 99 a psychological barrier and led to Sachin’s weirdly repetitive dismissals on that score.

🤝 Similarity Between Bradman and Sachin’s 99s

Interestingly, the legendary Sir Don Bradman also got out on 99 once in his Test career.

In the 3rd Ashes Test match in 1946-47 at Melbourne, Bradman was dismissed for 99 off 201 balls, caught by Jack Ikin off Bill Voce.

So Bradman and Sachin remain the only two batting greats to be dismissed one run short of a century in their careers.

Getting out on 99 clearly left a scar even on the minds of the greatest batsmen ever!

🎯 Key Takeaways: Sachin’s 99 Dismissals

Let’s recap some key facts about Sachin Tendulkar’s seven dismissals on 99:

✅ Sachin got out on 99 a record 7 times in international cricket (5 in ODIs and 2 in Tests)

✅ He remains the only player to get out on 99 as many as 7 times

✅ Nervousness, good bowling, lapses in concentration accounted for his 99 dismissals

✅ The failures made Sachin mentally tougher and sharpened his game

✅ Despite 7 ninety-nine dismissals, Sachin still scored 100 centuries (51 Tests, 49 ODI centuries)

So in the larger picture, Sachin’s unfortunate run outs on 99 represent minor blips in a 24-year glittering career. He remains cricket’s greatest run machine and batting genius bar none!

🏏 Conclusion

To conclude, Sachin Tendulkar’s seven dismissals on 99 remain one of the strangest and most unsatisfactory statistical quirks in his phenomenal cricketing career.

While the nervous nineties’ failures pained and frustrated him, they also shaped him into the mentally resolute player he became. Sachin displayed the ability to pick himself up after such setbacks and go on to scale unprecedented peaks as a batsman.

Getting out on 99 did leave a scar on his mind, but did not deter him from becoming the most complete batsman the game has ever seen, with an unprecedented 100 international centuries under his belt.

So the next time someone brings up Sachin’s sevens 99s, remember to focus on his unparalleled achievements and impact on cricket, beyond just plain numbers and statistics.

That is the mark of a true batting legend and genius like Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.