Indian Cricketers Who Got Out in the 90s Most Times in Test Cricket
There is a special kind of heartbreak in cricket reserved for the batter who reaches 90 and never makes it to 100. The “nervous nineties” have ended more dreams than almost any other phase of an innings, and even the greatest batters in Indian history have fallen victim to them. Sachin Tendulkar, the man with 51 Test hundreds, was dismissed in the 90s ten times. Rahul Dravid, the most technically correct batter of his generation, suffered the same fate nine times.
This article looks at the Indian cricketers who got out in the 90s the most times in Test cricket, the famous innings that got away, and why the nineties remain the most mentally demanding passage in the game.
What Are the Nervous Nineties in Test Cricket
The nervous nineties describe the period of an innings between 90 and 99, when a batter is close enough to a hundred to start thinking about it. That awareness changes everything. Shots that flowed naturally at 60 suddenly feel risky at 94. Bowlers sense the tension and attack. Fielders crowd the bat. The milestone that should be a formality becomes a psychological minefield.
In Test cricket, where innings are built over hours, the nineties can feel like an eternity. A batter might spend 30 minutes stuck in the 90s, facing probing spells with the landmark weighing on every decision. Some breeze through. Others, including genuine all-time greats, have perished there again and again.
Sachin Tendulkar: 10 Times
Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most dismissals in the 90s in Test cricket history: ten times. It is a strange record for a man who also holds the record for the most Test hundreds, 51, and the most Test runs, 15,921. But it shows that even the most complete batter ever was not immune to the tension of the nineties.
Remarkably, Tendulkar was never dismissed for 99 in Tests. His near-misses included being trapped lbw by Marcus North for 98 in the thrilling Mohali Test against Australia in 2010, and being caught behind for 97 off Jacques Kallis in the Mumbai Test against South Africa in 2000. Each time, a landmark that felt inevitable slipped away in the cruellest fashion.
Tendulkar’s ten nervous nineties are often cited as proof that the phenomenon is mental rather than technical. If the greatest run-maker in history could fall ten runs short of a hundred ten times, then no one is safe. His ODI exploits were equally legendary, and fans looking back at his one-day peaks often revisit Sachin Tendulkar and his highest scores in ODI cricket as a reminder of his range.
Rahul Dravid: 9 Times
Rahul Dravid, with nine dismissals in the 90s, has the second-most among Indian batters in Test cricket. For a man nicknamed “The Wall” for his impregnable defence and legendary concentration, the number is surprising, which is exactly why it fascinates.
His tryst with the nineties began on debut: dismissed for 95 against England at Lord’s in 1996, caught behind off Chris Lewis. The most famous of his nineties came in the 2003 Boxing Day Test at Melbourne, where he was India’s highest scorer in the second innings with 92 before being caught behind off Brett Lee. Like Tendulkar, Dravid was never dismissed for 99 in Tests; his highest such dismissal was 98 against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2005.
Dravid finished with 36 Test hundreds in 164 matches, and his nine nineties mean he could easily have had 45. The list of greats touched by the nineties spans generations, from Gavaskar to Tendulkar to Virat Kohli, and Dravid’s name sits near the very top of it.
Rishabh Pant: 7 Times
Rishabh Pant’s seven dismissals in the 90s are remarkable for two reasons: he reached the number so quickly, and he has more 90s than hundreds in his Test career. Pant’s fearless, boundary-hunting approach is both the reason he reaches the nineties so often and the reason he sometimes falls there.
His most agonising near-miss was falling for 99 against New Zealand, one run short of what would have been a famous hundred. Pant typically bats at number six and takes the attack to the bowlers, a role that involves constant risk. That risk-taking has won India famous matches, but it has also cost him several hundreds.
At his age, Pant could easily climb this list, or he could convert more aggressively and leave it behind. Either way, his relationship with the nineties is one of the most entertaining subplots in modern Test cricket.
| Player | Dismissals in the 90s | Test Hundreds | Most Famous Ninety |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | — |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 10 | 51 | 98 vs Australia, Mohali 2010 |
| Rahul Dravid | 9 | 36 | 95 on debut vs England, Lord’s 1996 |
| Rishabh Pant | 7 | Fewer than his 90s | 99 vs New Zealand |
| MS Dhoni | 5 | 6 | Run out vs England, 2012 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | 5 | 34 | Multiple near-misses in the 1970s-80s |
| Virender Sehwag | 5 | 23 | Attacking nineties that cost him hundreds |
MS Dhoni, Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag: 5 Times Each
Three very different batters share the next rung with five dismissals each in the 90s. MS Dhoni, who mostly batted at number seven and played the finisher’s role with the lower order, fell in the nineties five times in Tests. The most memorable came against England in 2012, when he was run out at the non-striker’s end attempting a quick single, a freak dismissal that denied “Captain Cool” a hundred.
Sunil Gavaskar, the greatest Indian opener of his era, was dismissed five times in the 90s across a 16-year career. With 34 Test hundreds to his name, built largely against the great West Indian pace attacks, Gavaskar’s temperament was legendary. That even he fell five times in the nineties shows how universal the phenomenon is.
Virender Sehwag’s five nineties came in a completely different style. Sehwag batted on instinct, and his “see the ball, hit the ball” approach produced 23 Test hundreds including two triple centuries. His 319 against South Africa remains one of the highest individual scores in Test history. But the same aggression that made him great occasionally cost him hundreds, as he perished playing shots in the nineties that he would never reconsider.
Why Great Batters Get Stuck in the Nineties
Sports psychologists point to a simple cause: the hundred becomes the goal instead of the next ball. Batters who have scored freely for hours suddenly start protecting their wicket, or conversely try to rush to the landmark with one big shot. Both approaches play into the bowlers’ hands.
There is also the weight of expectation. In India, a Tendulkar or Dravid hundred was a national event, and the crowd’s anticipation was almost audible. Some batters have admitted to hearing the noise change as they approached the milestone. The greats who converted most often were those who could treat 90 like 0, an almost inhuman level of present-moment focus.
Interestingly, aggressive batters like Sehwag and Pant often have fewer problems with the psychology but more with the method: they get out playing the shots that got them there. Defensive batters like Dravid have the opposite issue: they tighten up and get out to balls they would normally leave or defend comfortably.
Frequently Asked Questions
### Which Indian cricketer has been dismissed in the 90s the most times in Tests?
Sachin Tendulkar, with ten dismissals in the 90s, has been dismissed in the nineties more times than any other Indian batter in Test cricket. It is also the most by any batter in Test history.
How many times was Rahul Dravid dismissed in the 90s in Tests?
Rahul Dravid was dismissed in the 90s nine times in Test cricket, the second-most among Indian batters. His first such dismissal was for 95 on his Test debut against England at Lord’s in 1996.
Has any Indian batter been dismissed for 99 in Tests?
Rishabh Pant fell for 99 against New Zealand, one of his seven dismissals in the 90s. Notably, neither Sachin Tendulkar nor Rahul Dravid was ever dismissed for 99 in Test cricket.
### How many times did MS Dhoni get out in the 90s in Tests?
MS Dhoni was dismissed in the 90s five times in Test cricket. The most famous was his run out at the non-striker’s end against England in 2012 while attempting a quick single.
Why do batters get nervous in the nineties?
The proximity of the hundred changes a batter’s mindset: shots become cautious or rushed, bowlers attack with fresh intensity, and the weight of expectation grows. Sports psychologists say the key is treating 90 like 0 and focusing only on the next ball.
Who has the most 90s dismissals in Test cricket history?
Sachin Tendulkar’s ten dismissals in the 90s are the most by any batter in Test cricket history. Rahul Dravid’s nine is the next best among Indians, while Steve Waugh also reached double figures.