Watch: How Sachin Tendulkar tricked Sourav Ganguly to take strike all the time while opening in ODIs

Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were one of the most prolific opening batting pairs in the history of one day International cricket. The pair has walked together to the middle for a whopping 176 times. Most of those times, it was the southpaw Sourav Ganguly who used to take strike in the first ball of the innings.

Myth or reality? Answer revealed by Sourav Ganguly

The Indian cricket fans have obviously noticed that the best batsman in the world Sachin Tendulkar has refrained from taking strike in the first ball. There was a lingering question in their minds whether Sachin Tendulkar forced Sourav Ganguly to take strike. Some of them believed it was a myth but Sourav Ganguly revealed that it was reality.

Sachin Paji always forced you to take the strike while opening with you in ODIs? Myth ? Reality ? Asked Mayank Agarwal in his show to Sourav Ganguly. Dada came up with an answer –“ Always he did. He had an answer to that and I used to tell him ‘yaar sometimes you also face the first ball’.

“He had 2 answers to it – he believed when his form was good it should continue and that he should remain at the non-striker’s end, and then when his form wasn’t good he said ‘I should remain at the non-striker’s end because it takes the pressure off me,” Sourav Ganguly further added

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Funny insight into Dada’s mind

Sourav Ganguly did not just stop with revealing the truth about Sachin Tendulkar forcing him to take strike in the first. The stylish opener even went on to provide insights on how he used to trick the legendary Sachin Tendulkar by walking past him and standing at non striker’s end.

“He had an answer for both, good form and bad form. Until and unless somedays you walk past him, went and stood at the non-striker’s end and he was already on TV and he would be forced to be at the striker’s end. That has happened one or two times, I’ve just walked past him and stood at the non-striker’s end,” Ganguly revealed.

Sachin Tendulkar & Sourav Ganguly in ODIs:
Partnerships: 176
Runs: 8,227
Average: 47.55
No other pair has crossed even 6,000 runs together in ODIs.

Most ODI Century Partnership by Indian opening Pair:

Sachin/Ganguly: 21
Rohit/Dhawan:16
Sachin/Sehwag: 12

Sachin & Ganguly Made 258 Runs For 1st Wicket Partnership In Odi which Is Still Highest Opening Partnership By Indians.
250+ Opening Partnership (IND)
Sachin & Ganguly – 2
Other Opening Pairs – 0