I Was Not Able To Cough Or Sleep On My Tummy: Sachin Tendulkar Recollects A Blow From Shoaib Akhtar That Went Unnoticed For Months
Sachin Tendulkar and Shoaib Akhtar. (Credits: Twitter)

Sachin Tendulkar and Shoiab Akhtar have had some of the most magnificent duels during their career peaks. During India and Pakistan matches, the most-looked-forward-to battle was undoubtedly between Sachin Tendulkar, the batting maestro and Shoaib Akhtar, one of the fastest bowlers back then. The Rawalpindi Express has scared the best batsmen mentally and physically and he caused Sachin a physical injury that proved problematic for a long time.

It was back in 2007 when Pakistan toured England to play Test and ODI series. Though India won both the series, it was a tight series as the tourists gave the arch-rivals a real run for their money. Sachin Tendulkar was amongst the highest run-getters in the five-match ODI rubber, making 259 runs in five matches at 51.80 and striking at 101.97. On the other hand, Shoaib Akhtar took seven wickets in four games at 26.29.

Shoaib Akhtar, PSL
Shoaib Akhtar [Image Credits: Google]
Sachin Tendulkar revealed getting struck in the rib by Shoaib Akhtar in the first over itself during an ODI. The 200-Test veteran claimed being unable to sleep on his tummy or cough for nearly two months. Despite that, the 47-year old continued to play and visited Australia for a gruelling Test series, followed by the Commonwealth bank ODI series.

“I got hit in my rib cage in 2007. We were playing Pakistan in India and in the first over itself I got hit in the rib cage off a Shoaib Akhtar ball. It was quite painful. For a month and a half or two months, I was not able to cough or sleep on my tummy. But I continued playing like that and had designed my own chest guard. I played the remaining four ODIs and the Test series. Before going to Australia as well, I played whatever cricket there was,” Tendulkar said during a session on Unacademy.

I came back to India and we did a full-body scan: Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar (Image Credit: Twitter)

Sachin Tendulkar further said that he had a groin injury towards the end of the Australian sojourn and the doctor told him about the injury in India after undergoing a whole-body scan. The right-handed batsman reveals being worried about his groin before the start of the IPL; however, the medical professional highlighted a hotspot, signalling that Tendulkar might have broken his rib at some stage.

“When I went to Australia, I played the whole series – we played the VB series and towards the end of it, I had a groin injury. I came back to India and we did a full body scan. At that time, it was the doctor who told me about it. I did not ask him about my rib, I was worried about my groin injury because the IPL was going to start. But I couldn’t get fit in time and missed the first seven matches. But the doctor told me that there was a hotspot. You must have broken your rib at some stage. It troubled me for two months,” he added.

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