Sachin Tendulkar used to play “cat and mouse” with Shane Warne during their playing days, Brett Lee, the former Australia fast bowler, has said.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Cricket Connected , Lee said Tendulkar was very comfortable batting against Warne and on his day could toy with the Australian leg-spinner, which was otherwise a rare sight.
“[Tendulkar] used to advance down the wicket a few times and invited Warne to bowl a fraction too short. Sometimes, he would wait patiently on the back foot and play those beautiful shots,” said Lee.
“It was almost like he was playing cat and mouse with Warne and not many batsmen can play cat and mouse with Shane Warne because he’s so talented. But on day, Sachin Tendulkar was toying with Warne and that does not happen often,” he added.
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Lee further revealed Warne hated the way Tendulkar batted against him and would express anger after being unable to get him out. “The way Sachin used to read bowlers out of their hand, the different technique he used to play different balls, was pure class. There were times when Warne would try and get the trajectory a bit different through the air and sometimes, he would try and get a few balls to drop. Every time he would try the subtle variations, there was only Sachin who would pick them up. Warne would bamboozle other batsmen around the world, but Sachin would watch the hand much better than most of the other batsmen. Warne hated it, he would come back and say that he tried everything to get Sachin out, but he couldn’t,” Lee said.
“I was 22 years [old] when I got my first opportunity to play against the Little Master,” Lee, who played 76 Tests, 221 ODIs and 25 T20Is for Australia, said. It was the second Test in Melbourne during India’s tour of Australia in 1999-2000.
“I nicked him off and I thought I’m done. I didn’t care about a Test match since I was so happy to get Sachin Tendulkar out,” he added.
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