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'Good that I didn't score a century...': Sehwag recalls epic Tendulkar story from India vs Pakistan 2011 WC semis
Virender Sehwag said that even Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 100 centuries in international cricket, understood that winning a match is far more important than scoring a ton.
Shivam Dube missed out on a century by five runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL), getting stranded on 95 runs while playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The 28-year-old got to the mark in just 46 balls and his whirlwind knock, coupled with an equally aggressive knock from veteran opener Robin Uthappa at the other end, practically won the match for CSK against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first innings of the match itself.
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Dube was on his haunches when he failed to hit a six off the last ball of the innings, which was the only way he could have reached a century. However, former India opener Virender Sehwag said that Dube's innings should not be considered anything less than a century, taking the example of batting great Sachin Tendulkar.
“If he scored a century and the team lost, then? That happens so many times, players make a century but the team loses,” said Sehwag on Cricbuzz in which former fast bowler RP Singh was also part of the panel.
Former fast bowler RP Singh, then recalled an instance of Tendulkar scoring a century in a match that India went on to lose. Sehwag then recalled Tendulkar's reaction to being dismissed on 85 against Pakistan in the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup. India went on to win the game by 29 runs and Tendulkar was declared player of the match.
“I was also part of that match and so many other matches. In fact, paaji (Tendulkar) himself told us. It was the semi-final against Pakistan and he was dismissed in the 80s. When he came to the dressing he laughed slightly. I asked why he was laughing, he got out. He said, 'Good that I didn't make a century. Who knows we could lose the game',” said Sehwag.
“He is also human. He understands that it is winning that matters and not the century. And this is coming from a player who has scored 100 international centuries. So I would say that his (Dube's) 95 is equivalent to a century,” he said.
