Nervous 90s, what could be a more thrilling heartbeat racer thing than this? For the players, it is definitely the hardest ten runs they score because of the pressure they have to convert their fifty into a hundred, and at this stage, even if you don’t like the player, you would still hope the person reaches the magical figure of three digits.
Some players hit two maximums. Some go for two boundaries and a couple to end this thing; some succeed, and some don’t. Many crumble under the pressure created; many get out by taking the game slow, or when dealing in doubles and singles.
Here, in this article, we look at some players on the wrong side of this nineties phase.
With this follows a list showing the top 10 batsmen with the most nineties in ODIs.
Most 90s in ODI Career
| Player | Innings | 90s |
|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 452 | 18 |
| Grant Flower (ZIM) | 214 | 9 |
| Nathan Astle (NZ) | 217 | 9 |
| Aravinda De Silva (SL) | 296 | 9 |
| Kane Williamson (NZ) | 167 | 9 |
| Virat Kohli (IND) | 298 | 8 |
| Jacques Kallis (SA) | 314 | 8 |
| Shikhar Dhawan (IND) | 164 | 7 |
| Mohammad Azharuddin (IND) | 308 | 7 |
| Martin Crowe (NZ) | 140 | 6 |
Key Insights on the Nervous Nineties in ODI Cricket
Sachin Tendulkar’s Record-Breaking Nineties and Individual Milestones
Sachin Tendulkar has the most scores in the nineties in ODIs, with 18 knocks to his name. 17 of his scores came as an opener, the most by a batter in that position. (Here are Tendulkar’s all scores in the 90s across formats.)
Tendulkar was dismissed in the nineties 17 times, the most for a batter in ODIs.
Tendulkar was dismissed on 99 three times, the most for a batter in ODIs. Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya is the other batter with two dismissals on 99. (Here’s a list of batters dismissed on 99 in international cricket.)
Tendulkar fell in the nineties six times against Pakistan, the most instances by a batter against an ODI team.
Tendulkar is the only batter to have three or more scores in the nineties against four teams in ODIs.
Tendulkar also has the most scores in the nineties in a calendar year, recording six in 2007.
Kane Williamson is the only other batter with five such scores in a year, having done so in 2015.
South Africa’s Jacques Kallis and Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousuf have the most unbeaten scores in the nineties, with four knocks each to their names.
Captaincy and Debut Records in the Nineties in ODIs
New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and India’s Mohammad Azharuddin are the two captains with five or more scores in the nineties in ODIs.
Seven batters have recorded scores in the nineties on their ODI debuts. The batters are:
- Stephen Fleming (New Zealand): 90 vs India, 1994
- Phil Jaques (Australia): 94 vs South Africa, 2006
- Eoin Morgan (Ireland): 99 vs Scotland, 2006
- Swapnil Patil (UAE): 99* vs Scotland, 2014
- Rassie van der Dussen (South Africa): 93 vs Pakistan, 2019
- Shamarh Brooks (West Indies): 93 vs Ireland, 2022
- Towhid Hridoy (Bangladesh): 92 vs Ireland, 2023
Eoin Morgan is the only batter to record scores in the nineties for two countries in ODIs, two each for Ireland and England.
Venue and Calendar Year-wise Nineties Trends
Sri Lanka’s Marvan Atapattu recorded three scores in the nineties at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, the most by a batter at a venue in ODIs.
Australia’s Dean Jones scored six nineties knocks at home. This is the joint-most scores in the nineties by a batter in their home country in ODIs, along with Tendulkar.
Read Next | List of batsmen who have been dismissed on 199 in Tests
