Sachin Tendulkar Reveals Story Behind Iconic Uppercut Shot

Who can forget Sachin Tendulkar's famous uppercut to Shoaib Akhtar in the 2003 World Cup encounter between India and Pakistan. The shot is still fresh in the fans' memories. But recently in a video Master Blaster revealed that he never practised that shot in the nets. In a Q & A session with the fans, Tendulkar said it was just an instinctive shot.

ALSO READ - IPL 2020: Early Sunset These Days in UAE Has Made Chasing Easier, Says Sachin Tendulkar

A fan asked, “#AskSachin did you practice upper-cut shot or just instinct when your playing”

“It happened in 2002 in South Africa, when we were playing a Test match in Bloemfontein. We were batting first and Makhaya Ntini was bowling around the off stump as he normally used to bowl short of a length. He rarely bowled length deliveries. Since he used to run wide of the crease, I could sight the line.

“The South African pitches offer enough bounce. The normal tendency to deal with those bouncers is to go top of the bowl. And if it bounces more than usual for somebody of my height, why not get under it and still be aggressive and attacking,” said Sachin in a YouTube video.

ALSO READ - IPL 2020: WATCH - Dhawal Kulkarni Gets Hit on Helmet, Sachin Tendulkar Reminds Why Helmets Should be Made Mandatory

“That was something I felt. Instead of getting on top of the ball and trying to keep it all along the ground, get under it and play it towards third man boundary, utilizing the pace,” Sachin added.

“That shot disturbed a number of fast bowlers because they bowl bouncers to concede a dot ball. But I converted those into boundaries. I actually didn’t plan anything. Sometimes you just have to let your natural instincts take over after getting at the crease. And that’s what I did,” said Sachin.

• 2002
• 2003 world cup
• bcci
• sachin tendulkar
• Shoaib Akhtar