New Delhi. What is the most difficult moment for a batsman on the cricket field? Many people will say the first 10 balls, or the last over of the innings. But if you ask witnesses to the figures, they will unanimously say ‘nervous nineties’. This is the situation when the numbers between 90 to 99 are flashing on the scoreboard next to the player’s name. A century is just a step away, but a small mistake, a wrong shot or a great ball from the bowler can destroy the dream of that century. But are the ‘Nervous Nineties’ really a failure? Or is it a testament to the greatness of the batsman that he managed to stay at the crease so many times and destroy the best bowling attack in the world?
When we talk about ODI cricket statistics, Sachin Tendulkar’s name comes at the top of every list. The 18,426 runs and 49 centuries recorded in his name are proof that he was a run machine. But, there is another figure in this list which shows his continuity in the ’90s. Sachin was out between 90 and 99 18 times in his career. Critics may call it a failure, but if we think deeply, it is the pinnacle of his greatness. If a batsman has been out in the nineties 18 times and has scored a century 49 times, it means that he had reached ninety or above against the best bowlers in the world 67 times. These figures do not tell the story of his failure, but of his inexhaustible ability due to which he remained constantly at the crease. When Sachin was on 90, the entire stadium used to stop. That was such mental pressure that perhaps only Sachin could bear it for so long.
Those 6 batsmen of the world who became victims of nervous nineties the most times in ODIs.
The club of ‘9’ where a wall was formed between the century and the batsman
After Sachin Tendulkar, there is a list of players who have shared the pain of ‘nervous nineties’ in ODI history, who faced this bitter experience 9 times. These players come from different eras and different styles, but one thing they have in common is their consistency. One of the calmest batsmen of modern cricket, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson has scored 15 centuries in his career of 175 matches. But 9 times he stopped at that ‘nervous’ point where the century seemed just a formality. The patience of his batting tells him that getting out in the 90s is a part of the game, not a weakness.
Same was the condition of Grant Flower (Zimbabwe). In his 221-match career between 1992 and 2010, Grant scored 6 centuries and failed to cross the 90 mark 9 times. At the same time, even an explosive batsman like Nathan Astle (New Zealand) being out in 90s 9 times in 223 matches shows that when you take the risk of scoring fast runs even after coming so close to a century, the chances of falling increase. The name of Sri Lanka’s Aravinda de Silva is also included in this list. 11 centuries in 308 matches and 9 ‘nervous nineties’. De Silva’s artistic batting was a treat for cricket lovers. Being out in the 90s 9 times is a testament to how many times he took his team to the threshold of victory.
Kohli new definition of ‘nervous nineties’ and ‘conversion rate’
When we look at this list, one name emerges in a very interesting way: Virat Kohli. Virat has recorded ‘nervous nineties’ 8 times in 311 matches in ODI. But when we look at his 54 centuries, the story completely changes. This figure of Virat Kohli shows his ‘conversion rate’ (ability to convert into a century). While other legends were out in 90s 9 times, Virat has scored a century 54 times despite being out in 90s 8 times. This shows that in modern cricket, especially in Virat’s game, reaching 90 is not a goal but a station to reach a century.
The truth behind the statistics
The ‘nervous nineties’ is not a stigma. This is part of the beauty of cricket. Whenever a batsman scores 90, the entire dressing room holds its breath. It is such a psychological pressure that it is difficult to describe in words. Sachin reaching this position 18 times, Williamson, Flower, Astle and De Silva 9 times, and Virat reaching this position 8 times, prove that the great batsman is the one who has the courage to reach that brink again and again. Ultimately, cricket is not played just for the century, but also for the struggle that comes in the way of reaching the century.
