Gwalior, Nov 15: Sachin Tendulkar just could not break the jinx and succumbed to the nervous nineties syndrome for a record 16th time in his career in the fourth one dayer
against Pakistan here tonight.
For the sixth time this year, and second time in the ongoing series, Tendulkar fell prey to the jinx. Just three runs shy of his 42nd ton, the Mumbaikar dragged an Umar Gul
delivery onto his stumps and departed for 97.
It was sixth time in his last 19 outings that he fell in the 90's and on three occasions, he remained short of just one run.
Incidentally, it was Gul again who denied him a century in Mohali, removing him for 99 in the second match there.
Tendulkar, with 78 centuries to his name in both forms of the game, faced a similar problem at the start of his one-day career and it took him 79 matches to score his first century that came almost after five years since the start of his career. But once he scored his first ton -- against Australia in Sri Lanka at Colombo in the Singer World Series -- he
scored centuries at will.
But soon dried up tons and the last time he celebrated a century was his 100 not out against the West Indies in January this year at Vadodara.
In successive matches against South Africa in Ireland in June, Tendulkar was out in the 90s. First he scored 99 and then 93 in the Future Cup Series in Belfast.
Century eluded him once again in the Natwest Series against England where Tendulkar twice fell in the 90s. He scored 99 in Bristol and then 94 at Lords. In between, he
struck two fifties.
Bureau Report
