5 shots that showed Sachin Tendulkar's greatness

# Flick against West Indies in 1996 World Cup match

Sachin during the 1996 World Cup

The bowling attack of West Indies that Sachin had to deal with in the 1990s consisted of two greats – Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh – along with other seriously good bowlers like Ian Bishop. At Gwalior in 1996, India faced West Indies in a group match of the World Cup that year.

Indian bowlers did their work by restricting West Indies to a meagre total of just 173. Under lights, India came out to chase the small target with Sachin opening the innings and also leading the way.

Tendulkar’s innings took flight under lights and he started stroking boundaries with the finesse that only he possessed. But the one shot that was most breathtaking came when one of the West Indian pacers bowled a back of a length delivery outside the off-stump.

Most batsmen would have played the ball on to the off-side, maybe even trying the cut, but not Sachin. He played a unique shot which was a flick but unlike the regular variety, one that was played with a diagonal, almost horizontal bat. It took the ball through the vacant midwicket region for four.

Most people would associate batsmen like VVS Laxman or Mohammad Azharuddin or even Virat Kohli with the most impressive flicks through the on-side. But this special variety used by Sachin was one of a kind and another proof of Tendulkar’s unequalled genius.

(Watch the shot from 3:49 in the video)