Tendulkar’s shot-making was a perfect blend of technical mastery and timing. His ability to play a wide range of strokes against all types of bowling made him one of the most feared and respected batsmen in cricket.
Tendulkar had one of the most refined techniques in cricket. His balance, footwork, and head position were exemplary. He made sure to get his body in the right position before playing a shot, whether against pace or spin. His compactness at the crease allowed him to play both on the front and back foot with ease, making him equally strong in defense and attack.
Tendulkar popularized the uppercut, particularly during the latter part of his career. It involved slicing a short-pitched delivery over the slips or third-man boundary. It became a potent weapon, especially against fast bowlers.
There is a video doing the rounds on the internet where Tendulkar talks about how he came up with the upper cut shot and how he mastered it to perfection.
Talking about facing short-pitched deliveries from pacers, Tendulkar says in the video, “We were asked to leave the ball any shorter than that, then to let the ball go, because you cannot be on top of the ball to something which is there. I mean if you look to keep it down then it’s exactly at a catching height where the fielders are.”
Tendulkar continues, “So in 2001, we were playing South Africa in Bloemfontein and I thought being on top of the ball is not helping us score runs, why not get under the ball and play over the slip cordon in Test cricket. In Test cricket, very rarely you would find a third man in place, so I felt that was a scoring opportunity rather than letting the ball go because by nature instinctively I wanted to hit the ball and score runs.”
Tendulkar’s cut shot against fast bowlers like Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar was a demonstration of his brilliant hand-eye coordination, quick reflexes, and mastery of the game’s technique.
Both Lee and Akhtar were among the fastest bowlers of their era, regularly bowling over 150 kmph, but Tendulkar had the skill to turn their pace to his advantage, particularly with his cut shot.
Brett Lee, known for his express pace and aggressive bowling, often tested batsmen with short-pitched deliveries outside off-stump. Tendulkar, with his impeccable footwork and technique, would use the pace of Lee to execute his cut shot, playing it late and using the width Lee provided. The late cut was one of Sachin’s specialties against Lee, sending the ball racing past backward point or gully.
Shoaib Akhtar, known as the “Rawalpindi Express,” bowled with menacing speed and aggression. Tendulkar’s ability to deal with Akhtar’s pace was evident during the 2003 ODI World Cup and India’s tour of Pakistan in 2004. Against Akhtar’s fast, short-pitched deliveries outside off-stump, Tendulkar often used the cut shot to exploit the gaps between point and gully.
One of the most famous moments in cricket history occurred in the 2003 World Cup when Tendulkar uppercut a short-pitched delivery from Akhtar over third man for a six. Although it was more of an uppercut than a traditional cut shot, it was another demonstration of Tendulkar’s brilliance in using pace to his advantage. This shot, in particular, stands out in the minds of cricket fans for its audacity and timing.
Tendulkar’s ability to play the cut shot late allowed him to use the pace of the bowler, particularly against deliveries outside off-stump. His control over the shot meant that even if it went in the air, it was over the fielders and into the stands.
Tendulkar would quickly move his feet into position, getting inside the line of the ball to either play the shot late or early depending on the bounce and pace. This allowed him to manipulate the field with precision.
Even against bowlers as fast as Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar, Sachin displayed exceptional control, ensuring that the ball was placed in the gaps, often racing to the boundary with little effort.
Tendulkar’s cut shot against these two fiery fast bowlers exemplified his ability to neutralize extreme pace with finesse and technical superiority. These moments, especially his uppercut shots, remain etched in cricketing folklore.
Tendulkar’s shot-making was a mix of flawless technique, immense mental strength, and the ability to adapt to every situation. This is what made him one of the most complete and successful batsmen in cricket history.