Sachin Tendulkar has been widely regarded as the greatest batsman in the history. Tendulkar is fondly known as the “master blaster” and holds the record for the most runs in Tests or ODIs. He also has the record for scoring the most centuries in international cricket (100). Tendulkar made his India debut in 1989 against Pakistan. During an event, Tendulkar revealed a story about Javed Miandad, Pakistan’s former captain.
Tendulkar was 16 years old when he had achieved impressive performances for India in Test series. However, Tendulkar suffered a serious injury to his nose while playing the fourth Test. Tendulkar was hit by a Waqar Younis bouncer. Tendulkar continued to bat despite the injury. However, he remembered Javed Miandad’s comments towards him after he was struck by the bouncer
“My first tour to Pakistan was in the fourth Test. We had won the first three. We were down by 36 runs in the fourth Test’s final innings. Waqar Younis hit me on the nose with a bouncer. I was not used to wearing a helmet and my face was exposed. Tendulkar started to recount the story as he spoke at the event organized by Infosys.
“Naturally, the game was stopped. It was a crucial moment for Pakistani players. They would have been in a dominant position if I had walked away. They wanted to win and wanted to finish the game. Javed Miandad, who we all know is a shrewd and a witty man, was interacting with me in that buzz. He nudged me and said “Tera naak tot gaya hai,” tere ko padega.
“Imran tells her, ‘Javed let him alone’. I kept batting. This was the moment when I realized that an injury like this can really make or break you. I am glad that I didn’t have to walk to the dressing room. I kept batting. Tendulkar said that we had drawn the Test and the series, which was very important.”
