Vintage Tendulkar reminds Dhoni of his spin credentials

Wellington: A vintage Sachin Tendulkar has put skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in a spot.

Tendulkar spun out two big wickets on the final day of the Wellington Test. He was brought on in the 76th over and it was only his fourth over in Tests under Dhoni's captaincy. Similar is the tale in one-dayers: out of the 51 matches Dhoni has captained, Tendulkar hasn't got more than 23 overs put together. At one stretch, he wasn't bowled at all for 11 games in a row.

The respect for Tendulkar worldwide outdoes the 44 wickets he has snared in his 159 Tests. Former Australian skipper Bob Simpson once famously described him as the best leg spinner in India, and his friend and colleague Harbhajan Singh credits Tendulkar with teaching him how to spin with a new ball.

Yours' truly is witness to how Tendulkar once predicted to get Sehwag out in the gully and did it time and again in a mock nets session in South Africa.

This reputation is well-earned. Everyone remembers India's epic win over Australia in 2000-01 series courtesy VVS Laxman's massive 281 and his triple century stand with Rahul Dravid.

But if India won that Test, it was on count of Tendulkar's baffling variety. He took out Adam Gilchrist (0), Matthew Hayden (67) and Shane Warne (0) in an 11-over spell. A few more overs without break and the Australians would have swum to safety.

The same was true in Adelaide in 2004 when his wickets of Damien Martyn and Steve Waugh shaped a sensational win.

So why does Dhoni prefers to turn to Yuvraj Singh rather than trust the genius of Tendulkar in search of a breakthrough? Tendulkar can turn big on a flat surface.

His variety of spin - off, leg, overspin, sliders - are only accentuated by his ability to bowl off and leg-cutters.

Yet Dhoni doesn't seem to notice it. Or is it that Tendulkar himself is averse to put himself on as a bowler? After all he once tragically broke his foot at the nets in Johannesburg during the 2001 tour.

Since then he has had a series of back and ankle problems, not to speak operations on the hand and groin injury.

His bowling action means more contortions and thus strain on the back as well as on his knees, ankles and shins.

Let's admit it Tendulkar, at the most, today is good only for three or four overs, and with India not scheduled to play any Tests for the next six months, he may have picked up his final Test wickets.