Sachin Tendulkar's 5 greatest bowling performances

Sachin Tendulkar has been given titles like the ‘Master Blaster’ and the ‘Little Master’ looking at his batting, but in all the years he has played, he has managed more than once to prove useful with the ball, specially since he has the knack of breaking crucial partnerships with his well-disguised googlies and subtle variations.

Here is a compilation of 5 of his outstanding bowling performances.

5. 3/31 vs Australia (Border-Gavaskar trophy, Kolkata, 2001)

This was a famous Test match that nobody needs reminding of. It is as if this game is etched in every Indian cricket fan’s heart. The one in which Laxman scored 281 to get India out of trouble in front of a full house at the Eden Gardens. Yes, that one.

Tendulkar hadn’t had a good time with the bat. In fact, nobody except Laxman and Dravid played any significant part with the bat in this particular game. It was already lunch on Day 5 and Australia still needed a good 360 runs to win. All wickets in hand, the match seemed to be heading for a draw. But the Indian bowlers sniffed a win.

It was after tea that the real rampage started. Harbhajan removed Steve Waugh and Ponting, and before Sachin joined the party, Australia were 5 down for 166 with Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden at the crease, hoping to steal a draw. But the Little Master ensured that did not happen, trapping Gilly leg before on the first delivery he faced, continuing the fall of wickets that Bhajji started.

In his next over, he claimed the dangerous Hayden in similar fashion, and Shane Warne in the over after that, also leg before. Kasprowicz, Gillespie and McGrath did try and stick around, but Bhajji took the 2 remaining wickets to hand India a 171-run win that wasn’t even on the cards till morning.