Dismissing Sachin Tendulkar for duck was turning point in career: Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has become a regular fixture in the Indian cricket team over the last few years. However, in spite of all his success, his most prized wicket is that of Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Uttar Pradesh seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar burst on to the international circuit when as a 19-year-old, he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar for a duck in a Ranji Trophy match.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Sachin Tendulkar in the 2008-09 Ranji Trophy final
The wicket came during the 2008-09 Ranji Trophy final between Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai. It was a historic moment as it was for the first time in his decorated career that Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed for a duck in Ranji Trophy.
“It was a big turning point, I had also picked wickets in that season before, if you see that season, I had picked 30-35 wickets, but dismissing Paaji (Sachin Tendulkar) highlighted all my previous performances. Who is this guy, what has he done?” Bhuvneshwar Kumar told ESPNCricinfo in an interview.
“People started digging my stats from the past. People realised that I could do well as I had done well in the past as well. But that wicket was the turning point as people started noticing me after that,” the pacer added.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has represented India in 21 Tests, 114 ODIs and 43 T20Is till date in a career which started back in 2012
Four years after the Ranji Trophy final, Bhuvneshwar Kumar made his ODI debut for the Men in Blue and removed Pakistan batsman Mohammad Hafeez off the first ball of his ODI career.
“Generally, you think to claim wickets before the start of any game, but you don't plan to bag a certain number of wickets as it's not possible,” Bhuvneshwar Kumar said.
“But when it comes to Sachin Tendulkar's wicket, then I would say I was lucky because the position where Sachin Tendulkar got out was neither short-leg nor mid-wicket, so the credit goes to Mohammad Kaif who was my captain at that time,” he added.
Another memorable spell was for Pune Warriors India in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In a game where Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) opener Chris Gayle went berserk and scored a mammoth 175 not out.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was lucky to escape the massacre and returned figures of 0/23 in four overs.
“Whenever I bowled against Chris Gayle, I observed that he was not very comfortable playing swing bowling; especially when it swings away from him. I had the same strategy in that match as well. They say, in those cases, that you are in a different 'zone' from the rest. And in that match, I was in the zone,” Bhuvneshwar Kumar said.