Brad Hogg only dismissed Sachin Tendulkar once in international cricket but there was no lack of excitement every time the two came face to face. Hogg had Tendulkar out during an ODI between India and Australia in Hyderabad in 2007. After the match, Hogg revealed how he went up to Tendulkar asking him to sing the ball and the former batsman wrote ‘Never again, mate’ on the ball.
As it turns out, Hogg never could dismiss Tendulkar and perhaps the dismissal triggered Tendulkar to go after the former chinaman bowler every time he faced him there on. One such battle took place in the Melbourne Test match – the Boxing Day Test in the same year. With India batting in the first innings, a well-set Tendulkar took the attack to Hogg hitting him for two fours and a six in the 39th over to go with a four a couple of overs ago.
Talking about the experience of bowling to Tendulkar, Hogg explained how he was a bit under the pump and how captain Ricky Ponting and wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist tried to devise a plan to get Tendulkar out.
“I think it was a tactic from India as well because I knew there was no Shane Warne or Stuart MacGill. If you’re going to look at a weak link from that particular team, especially in the bowling department, it was going to be me. And that put a little bit of pressure on me,” Hogg told Harmison on the latter’s show ‘Test of Time’ on YouTube.
