Ex-pacer Allan Donald explained why Sachin Tendulkar distinguished himself from other visiting batsmen in terms of achieving success in Test cricket in South Africa.
Sachin Tendulkar is the only Indian to score over 1000 Test runs in South Africa, with five centuries. Allan Donald explained why Tendulkar was better than other visiting batsmen there.
Sachin Tendulkar accumulated 1161 runs out of his total of 15,921 Test runs in South Africa. Over 19 years, Tendulkar managed to score five centuries in Tests played in South Africa, maintaining an average of 56.
Tendulkar and England’s Walter Hammond (1927-1939) are the only two visiting Test batsmen with over 1000 runs in South Africa. Hammond scored 1447 runs in 15 matches with an average of 62.91.
“The only person I know who played us well was Tendulkar, who triggered (had a trigger movement) while batting in South Africa rather than stand on the middle stump. He pressed forward and left the ball amazingly well,” Donald told news agency PTI.
“It’s not an easy place to combat. We see that daily in South Africa, the ball does nip around more than it does in Australia or England. If your footwork isn’t 100 percent then you are in trouble,” he added.
Sachin Tendulkar scored five centuries in Test matches played in South Africa
Tendulkar’s initial century in South Africa occurred in the second Test of the 1992-93 tour at Johannesburg’s Wanderers Stadium. On November 27, 1992, he demonstrated remarkable adaptability and skill by scoring a resilient 111 runs against a formidable South African bowling attack.
This innings held special significance as it made him the youngest cricketer, at 19 years and 217 days old, to surpass 1,000 runs in Test cricket at that time. Sachin Tendulkar’s best performance in South Africa was an outstanding 169 runs at Newlands, Cape Town, on January 2, 1997.
Another notable inning was on November 3, 2001, when Tendulkar scored 155 at Goodyear Park in Bloemfontein, showcasing an impressive strike rate of 85. His aggressive batting, adorned with 23 fours and a six, was a masterclass, even though it couldn’t secure a victory for India.
A standout achievement in Tendulkar’s career is the 111* he achieved at SuperSport Park in Centurion on December 16, 2010. This century marked his 50th in Test matches, a unique milestone as the first and only cricketer to reach this feat.
His innings displayed a combination of determination and elegance under pressure, crucial for India in avoiding an innings defeat.
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