Published 17:19 IST, February 12th 2021
Sachin Tendulkar denied 1st Test ton courtesy John Wright catch in rare 1990 video: WATCH
Former Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar was denied a well-deserved century by his future coach John Wright at Napier back in 1990, i.e. when he was just aged 16.
Former Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar brought up his maiden international ton in a Test match against England at Old Trafford back in 1990. At the time, the ‘Master Blaster’ was just aged 17. Apparently, the prodigious batting talent could have reached his maiden three-figures mark months in advance if it wasn't for his future coach John Wright's fielding.
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Sachin Tendulkar’s majestic knock derailed by future coach
In February 1990, a 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar was part of the Indian squad that toured New Zealand. In the second Test of the tour at Napier, the then youngster scored a sparkling half-century and was looking all set to convert it into his maiden three-figures mark at the international level.
However, Tendulkar was dismissed by Danny Morrison as he holed out to John Wright at covers. In all, the batsman scored 88 runs from 266 balls in an innings which was laced with five elegant boundaries. Interestingly, John Wright later went on to coach the Indian cricket team between 2000 and 2005, i.e. at a time when Tendulkar had achieved an iconic status for himself at the international stage.
Wright was also unfortunately responsible for Tendulkar missing out on the then world record of becoming the youngest-ever player in the history of Test cricket to score a century in Test cricket.
Sachin Tendulkar gets caught by John Wright for 88, watch video
Sachin Tendulkar hundreds in international cricket
The Sachin Tendulkar hundreds section in international cricket makes for a staggering read. While he missed out on a well-deserved ton in Napier, he eventually got to his first century six months later at Old Trafford against England. The cricketer did not stop there and plundered another 99 tons across all his international appearances. He is currently the leading century-maker in international cricket with 100 tons and is ahead of second-placed Ricky Ponting (71) by 29.
A look into Sachin Tendulkar awards
In February 2020, Sachin Tendulkar won the Laureus award under the ‘Best Sporting Moment’ category of the last 20 years. He won the award for the moment when Team India carried him on their shoulders across the stadium after India’s 2011 World Cup triumph at home.
Back in 1994, he received the 'Arjuna Award' for his achievements in the game. At only 21 years of age, he was the youngest recipient at the time for this honour. Three years later, the Indian government once again recognised Tendulkar’s excellence in sports by honouring him with ‘Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna’, which is also the highest sporting honour any Indian athlete could achieve.
On the backdrop of 1999’s ICC Cricket World Cup, the ‘Little Master’ was presented with the fourth highest civilian award – ‘Padma Shri’. In the coming years, the Tendulkar awards cabinet got further decorated with ‘Padma Vibhushan’ in 2008, the second-highest civilian award in the country. He also achieved the ‘Bharat Ratna’ in 2014 which is India’s highest civilian award.
Sachin Tendulkar tweet inspires fans
Sachin Tendulkar has always known to be a true patriot. He once played for India in a 1999 World Cup match just days after attending his father’s funeral. The former cricketer, who possesses a massive fan following, is treated as a demigod in the country and whenever his patriotism gets questioned, his fans are left enraged.
In fact, Tendulkar is the first cricketer from the country to have begun a tradition of keeping the national flag's design on his helmet. Sachin Tendulkar's passionate fans have come to his rescue off late by reminding the critics of his accolades, patriotism and services to the country after he endorsed the message of unity and putting the country first in his latest tweet.
Image source: ICC Twitter
Updated 17:19 IST, February 12th 2021