Brett Lee recalls his on-field rivalry with 'Master Blaster' Sachin Tendulkar; Read here

Brett Lee has revealed that he was always thrilled while bowling to Sachin Tendulkar. The rivalry between batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and bowling icon Brett Lee is one of the epic rivalries in the history of the game. Just like Sachin's rivalries with the likes of pace sensations Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Glenn McGrath, Shoaib Akhtar, etc. even the one against Lee is a part of the cricketing folklore. 

Both have got each other's numbers on the cricket field. While Tendulkar has smashed Brett to all corners of the stadium, the latter has also dismissed the 'Master Blaster' on numerous occasions. 

'Really thrilled me': Brett Lee

“I think maybe my style of bowling is suited more towards one day cricket. And I reckon the chance to bowl against Sachin Tendulkar was something that really thrilled me,” said Lee while speaking to The Times of India.

“I wanted to make sure I was on top of my game. So if you want to compete against the best you have to be at your best. And I’ve thought when I’m playing against Sachin most times, I was at my best because he brought the best out of me,” the 2003 World Cup winner added.

Surprisingly, the Master Blaster had hit an outstanding straight drive off a ferocious delivery bowled by the speedster at 152.5 km/hr. This had happened during a tri-series match in early 2008 between India and Australia that had also featured Sri Lanka. The Men In Blue made history as they won their first-ever tri-series on Australian soil by getting the better of the then mighty Aussies in the first two of the best of three finals.

Sachin Tendulkar's successful cricketing career

Tendulkar had made his debut at the international level as a teenager back in 1989. Sachin has scored 15921 runs in 200 Tests and 18426 runs in 463 One Day Internationals. He also remains the top run-scorer in both these formats to date. The Little Master also has 100 international centuries to his name which is a feat that no one else has achieved. The champion batsman also became the first player to score a double century in ODI cricket.

The cricket legend has represented India in six World Cups and was an integral part of the Men In Blue's historic triumph in 2011 where he was the second-highest run-scorer with 482 runs. The 47-year-old was also Team India's backbone in the 2003 World Cup where he had scored 673 runs in 11 matches. India finished as runners-up after losing to the then mighty Australia in a lop-sided final but he was adjudged as the Player of the Tournament.

READ: Danny Morrison Recalls How He Had Denied Sachin Tendulkar His Maiden Test Century