Sachin Tendulkar’s records in International cricket with the bat are widely spoken which leaves his bowling talent underrated. Sachin was far from being a genuine all-rounder but his bowling talent was one of its kind. He produced many crucial spells and delivered for the team in many historical victories.

Interestingly, Tendulkar does have more 5-wicket hauls in the ODI format than Shane Warne, Courtney Walsh, Imran Khan, Malcolm Marshall, Kapil Dev, Zaheer Khan and few more prominent names.

Here we look as five unique bowling records which are on the name of Sachin Tendulkar International cricket:

5. Defending 6 or fewer runs twice in the 50th over

One of the well-known facts about Sachin Tendulkar’s bowling is that the legendary batsman managed to defend 6 or fewer runs successfully in the last over on multiple instances in ODI cricket. Tendulkar, till date, is the only player to defend six or fewer runs in the 50th over of an ODI more than once.

Sachin achieved this feat for the first time during the 1993 Hero Cup semi-final against South Africa. Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin handed over the ball to Sachin despite the overs of the main pacers left. Interestingly, Tendulkar hadn’t bowled in that match until the final over. He conceded only three runs to see India through to the final by two runs.

During the 1996 Titan Cup, the Indian team was in a similar situation in the game against Australia. Sachin Tendulkar, who was the Indian captain this time, took the role of bowling the final over. Australia lost their last wicket on the very first ball of the 50th over and lost the match by 5 runs.

4. Youngest Indian to take a 4-wicket haul in ODIs

Sachin Tendulkar has produced many crucial spells with the ball for India but he took nearly a year to become a regular bowling option. India faced Sri Lanka at home in a 3-match ODI series at the start of December 1990. The Indian team took a 1-0 lead after winning the series opener in Chandigarh. The 2nd ODI was hosted by Pune where the Sri Lankans got off to a good start after losing the toss. The Lankan openers Roshan Mahanama and Dammika Ranatunga added 52 runs despite runs came at 3 RR.

Tendulkar broke the stand when Mahanama was caught behind and followed it by cleaning up Dammika. He finished with figures of 9-0-39-2 and became the youngest Indian to claim an ODI wicket. Tendulkar was named player of the match as he smashed 53 from only 42 balls during the 228-run chase. He went wicketless in the ODI format until October 1991 as he got to bowl only two overs across six ODIs post the Pune ODI.

India took on West Indies at the Sharjah ground during the Wills Trophy. West Indies were 39/1 after being put into bat before Sachin Tendulkar stepped up with the ball. The then 18-year-old took 4/34 in his 10 overs to bundle out the Caribbean team to 145. Sachin thus became the youngest Indian with a 4-wicket haul in ODI cricket as he was only 18 years and 181 days. He, in fact, was the 2nd youngest player to claim an ODI 4-fer until 2001 but is currently 10th on that list.

3. Multiple 5-wicket hauls at the same venue

Sachin Tendulkar’s 5-wicket hauls in the ODI format have an interesting coincidence as both of those came at the Kochi’s Nehru Stadium that too in the first two days of April month. He claimed his professional career’s maiden 5-wicket haul during the opening match of the 1998 Pepsi Triangular Series against Australia. India lost both their openers Sachin and Sourav Ganguly early on but Ajay Jadeja’s century was backed by fifties from Mohammad Azharuddin and HH Kanitkar.

Two century partnerships powered India to reach 309/5 in the 50 overs. Australia got off to a flyer as they had an opening stand of 102 in only 11.2 overs. The Aussies were well on their way to a big chase as they were placed at 203/3 in the 32nd over. Tendulkar bagged the wicket of the Aussie skipper Steve Waugh who got out giving a return catch. Couple of overs later, he trapped Darren Lehmann in front and dismissed the set batsman Michael Bevan at the end of the 40th over.

Bevan was stumped after registering the top score of the innings (65). Sachin later got the wicket of Tom Moody on the very first ball of the 42nd over. Sachin nearly got a hat-trick if not for a chance missed by Nayan Mongia behind the stumps. He completed his 5-wicket haul by picking the wicket of Damien Martyn in his last over and finished with 10-1-32-5. Australians were bowled out for 268 and lost the match by 41 runs.

Sachin’s next 5-fer came against Pakistan during the first game of the 6-match ODI series. Centuries from Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid pushed India to 281/8 despite scoring only 40 runs in the last 9 overs. Pakistan were reduced to 64/4 by 13th over before a 48-run stand began to rescue the chase. Sachin ran through the visiting team’s line-up with figures of 10-1-50-5 as they were bowled out for only 194.

Thus, Sachin Tendulkar became the first Indian with multiple 5-wicket hauls in ODI cricket at the same venue. He was also the first player to take more than one ODI 5-fer at the same venue in India as well. Sachin still stands as the only player with this feat as a lot of grounds host matches in India and players don’t get to feature quite often at the same venue.

2. Most 4-wicket hauls by an Indian spinner in Asia in ODI cricket

Sachin Tendulkar has bagged as many as six 4-wicket hauls in the ODI format which includes his two 5-wicket hauls in Kochi. All those six 4-fers came during the ODIs hosted by Asia only. Sachin took two 4-fers at the Dhaka’s Bangabandhu Stadium against Australia and Bangladesh in 1998 and 2004 respectively. His other two 4-wicket hauls in this format came in Sharjah and Faridabad.

His six 4-wicket hauls are the most by an Indian spin bowler in ODI format during the matches played in Asia. Anil Kumble and Ravindra Jadeja share the 2nd spot in this list with five 4-fers apiece. Till date, only three Indians other than Sachin have taken more than five 4-fers in Asia – Ajit Agarkar (6), Manoj Prabhakar (6) and Zaheer Khan (6) who all are pace bowlers.

Sachin Tendulkar’s six 4-wicket hauls put him at No.3 in the list of most 4-fers by an Indian spin bowler in ODI cricket. Kumble tops the list with ten 4-fers out of which five came in Asia and other five outside the Asian continent. The left-arm spinner Jadeja finds himself at 2nd spot as his took as many as eight 4-wicket hauls in ODI cricket out of which three came outside Asia including his lone 5-wicket haul during the 2013 Champions Trophy.

1. Test wicket as a teenager and 40-year old

Sachin Tendulkar’s 24-year long career in International cricket helped him create various records including one in the bowling department which is not spoken. He has picked up wickets in Test cricket when he was a teenager and also after turning 40 years. He is the only player in Test history to have achieved this feat of taking wickets in the teens and also in the 40s.

Interestingly, Tendulkar picked only 46 wickets in his Test career which lasted as many as 200 matches. Sachin took as many as four wickets before turning 20, all three wickets during their overseas tours. Merve Hughes, Allan Border, Mark Taylor and Andrew Hudson were Sachin’s first four victims in Test cricket. The legendary batsman failed to earn a wicket in this format in the following five years.

Sachin Tendulkar’s final wicket in this format came during the Kolkata Test against West Indies during his farewell series. Sachin got better of Shane Shillingford as the off-spinner from West Indies was trapped in front. During the same match, Tendulkar was dismissed by Shillingford only that too via LBW. Replays, however, showed that the umpire Nigel Llong failed to realize the length of the delivery.