8 instances which prove that Sachin Tendulkar is the epitome of sportsmanship

Two boundaries answer Brett Lee’s beamer; India vs Australia, 2008

A fast bowler’s job remains simple- run in hard and upstage the batsman’s concentration in the quest for wickets. An aggressive spell of fast bowling often sets up the stage for the rest of the match.

Many spells have gone, many deliveries by bowlers have frustrated the batsman over the years and well, many abusive exchanges have been exchanged. Remember Ricky Ponting swearing at Indian Javagal Srinath after a miscued bouncer or Matthew Hayden ramming his bat in anger and shouting at England’s youngster Simon Jones after a misfired run-out attempt by the bowler hit Hayden?

And then there is Sachin Tendulkar. In the finals of the CB series in 2008, a nasty Brett Lee beamer hit the Indian on the helmet, which elicited no reaction whatsoever from the batsman. The bowler immediately rushed to the opener, stretching out his hands in an apology. A handshake and a pat on the shoulder later, the matter was settled.

Two boundaries and a wide toothed grin directed towards Lee was Tendulkar’s way of answering back.

The video below contrasts and compares the reaction of cricketers, who have been termed as legends due to the runs scored but with a fiery behaviour to boast of, with Tendulkar, who has left behind his legacy in the cricketing world due to his sportsmanship.