Monty Panesar recounts his magical delivery to dismiss Sachin Tendulkar during England’s victorious 2012 tour of India – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

Former England left-arm spinner Monty Panesar has recently revealed that one of the greatest balls bowled by him was to knock off legendary India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.

England lost the opening Test in Ahmedabad by nine wickets during their tour to India in 2012 and while heading into Mumbai, the visitors added Panesar to the playing XI.

Panesar managed to pick up a five-wicket-haul, including the prized wicket of Tendulkar.

With Tendulkar batting on eight, the bowler delivered the ball right outside the leg and hit the top of Tendulkar’s off-stump. Panesar managed to get him out in the second innings too.

A Sportzwiki report cited Panesar’s interaction with ESPNCricinfo in which the cricketer said, “When I bowled [in the Tests] I was like, gosh, I feel so fit, I feel strong, my action feels great, I felt like I could really flight the ball and spin it. I remember saying to myself, right, I want to hit the top of off stump. That was it.”

He added that Sachin tried to play it towards mid-on and it somewhat pitched and hit off stump.

Panesar further said that he remembered listening to Glenn McGrath’s videos, adding that the ball perhaps even better than the one Shane Warne bowled to dismiss the former England captain during the first Test of the 1993 Ashes.

“You look at that delivery,” Panesar said, adding, “His balance was perfect, but he completely misjudged the length, the curve on the ball, and he honestly thought it was just a ball that is going to skid on, with the pace that I bowled, towards leg stump. But it didn’t. It was a great ball. It was something that I would say was probably a better ball than Shane Warne [to Mike Gatting].”