Sidhu Remembers Tendulkar’s Dinner Table Dedication to Mastering Spin

India faced a humbling defeat in their Test series against South Africa, highlighting the home team’s concerning struggle with playing spin.

The Indian batters found it particularly challenging to counter the Proteas spinners, especially off-spinner Simon Harmer, who delivered an exceptional performance, taking 17 wickets with an incredible average of 8.94.

In a conversation with Sportstar about India’s troubles against spin, former Indian opener Navjot Singh Sidhu recalled how the legendary Sachin Tendulkar previously tackled a similar weakness by integrating the sweep shot into his technique.

“In a Test match where I was at the non-striker’s end, Sanath Jayasuriya kept bowling outside the leg stump, tying Sachin down. Frustrated, he attempted to pull the ball and was dismissed due to his lack of a sweep shot,” Sidhu recounted.

“After the match, I found him still seated in the dressing room, even after everyone had left. Ajit Wadekar, our team manager at the time, asked me to bring him to the team bus. When I approached Sachin, he expressed his frustration, saying, ‘Aisa nahi chalega.’ I reassured him, ‘Kya ho gaya, ek out hi hua, koi chakkar nahi hai. He was bowling negative, don’t worry.’”