‘Tera naak toot gaya hai, tere ko hospital jaana padega’ - Sachin Tendulkar recalls being sledged by Javed Miandad during 1989 Sialkot Test

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar recently recalled an incident from his international debut back in November 1989 when legendary Pakistan batter Javed Miandad had sledged him after the former was struck awkwardly on his nose by a delivery from Waqar Younis.

At the same time, Sachin also recalled how the then Pakistan skipper Imran Khan had asked Javed to mind his own business instead of sledging the opponent at a crunch moment in the game. The Master Blaster also revealed that the reason why he refrained from leaving the field despite being injured. 

Had I walked off, they would’ve been in a dominating position: Sachin Tendulkar

“My first tour of Pakistan, we were playing the fourth Test, we had drawn the first three. In the last innings of the fourth Test, we were some 36/4 down. I got hit off a bouncer from Waqar Younis on my nose, I wasn’t used to wearing a grill and my face was exposed to the blow. I broke my nose and I was bleeding,” Tendulkar said in an event organised by Infosys.

“Naturally, the game stopped. Pakistan players realised that it was a crunch moment. Had I walked off, they would’ve been in a dominating position,” he added.

“They wanted to finish the game and they wanted to win. In that buzz around me, Javed Miandad — we all know how he can be — he was nudging me and said, ‘Tera naak toot gaya hai, tere ko hospital jaana padega’ (You have broken your nose, you will have to go to the hospital).

“Imran (Imran Khan) tells him, ‘Javed leave him alone’. I continued batting. That was one moment where I felt that an injury like that can make or break you,” the Little Master further added.

On a typical green-top wicket at Sialkot, India were reduced to 38/4 and things looked complicated after Sachin’s nose was bleeding profusely after he was hit by a vicious delivery from Waqar Younis.

Nonetheless, the then 16-year-old refused to give up and instead of heading back for treatment towards the dressing room he confidently said 'Main Khelega' (I will continue to bat).

Sachin Tendulkar’s grit and determination paid off as he went on to score a valiant 57. The contest eventually ended in a stalemate and the four-match series was drawn 0-0.