He got hit on the helmet and smashed the next ball for six: Prasad narrates battle between Tendulkar and Akram
Venkatesh Prasad, who played alongside and under Sachin Tendulkar praised the former India captain’s calm demeanour on the field, saying the batsman would hardly show any emotion while batting.
Former India fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad has narrated an intriguing incident between Sachin Tendulkar and Wasim Akram from the 1990s. It was a time when the India-Pakistan rivalry was at its peak with both teams trading blows repeatedly. Right from the 1980s till the early 2000s, the Sharjah cricket stadium saw plenty of battles between the two teams, and especially in the ‘90s, with Tendulkar and Akram being at the forefront of several encounters.
Prasad, who played alongside and under Tendulkar praised the former India captain’s calm demeanour on the field, saying the batsman would hardly show any emotion while batting. Explaining the same, Prasad recalled a battle between Tendulkar and Akram, and how the former left-arm pacer rattled the India batsman with a fiery bouncer.
"One incident I would like to narrate here. Sachin once got hit in Sharjah with the new ball and Wasim Akram was bowling. He gets hit on his helmet. It was a quick ball, probably bowled at 145ish. So, he didn’t expect it, and by the time he reacted, he got hit on his helmet. And he just walks towards the leg umpire and shakes his head. Nothing, he doesn’t do anything. He doesn’t even remove the helmet, just holds his visor and gets the helmet in place," Prasad said on The Grade Cricketer Podcast.
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Prasad, who has become part of Indian cricketing folklore for his famous dismissal of Aamer Sohail – considered perhaps the greatest individual comeback in the history of Indian cricket – among several other things, went on, revealing how an unfazed Tendulkar would not let the blow of the bouncer get to him and came up with an emphatic response the next delivery.
"He comes back and take the strike and the second ball… it’s a new ball and Sachin is opening. Second ball again, Wasim bowls a bouncer. Same typical pace, same length and it's coming at the height of his head. Perfectly targeted but Sachin hits it for a six. Again, no reactions from Sachin," Prasad pointed out.
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