Sachin Tendulkar scored just 82 runs in the first three Tests of the 2003-2004 series against Australia. However, in the fourth Test, he analyzed why he was getting out and decided to change his approach. He realized the Australian bowlers were getting him out by bowling wide outside off stump, enticing him to drive. So for the fourth Test, Tendulkar developed a plan to avoid playing the cover drive and focus on scoring runs to the leg side instead. He executed this plan perfectly, scoring an unbeaten 241 runs with no boundaries in the cover region. This iconic innings demonstrates that with proper analysis of mistakes, planning an improvement, and rigorous execution of the new plan, significant change is possible

1. How change is possible (A lesson on
learning from setbacks from the game of
cricket)
Kiran S. M., personal email ID: kiran-s-m@lycos.com
Quality Assurance professional
08-Jan-2017

2. Background and outline
 All copyrights are acknowledged.
 The source of this presentation is the LinkedIn post I wrote in January 2015, available
at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tendulkar-learning-from-setbacks-kiran-m?trk=mp-
author-card for reference.
 The viewer of this presentation needs to know about the game of cricket and Sachin Tendulkar.
If the game and the name are unfamiliar, this presentation will not make sense!
 Outline:
 The role of change
 Sachin Tendulkar and his big scores
 The 2003-2004 Australia – India test cricket series
 Lessons from Sachin’s knock and their application in the corporate
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3. The role of change
 Change is a constant in life.
 On the personal side, examples of changes are:
 Weddings
 The birth of a child
 Purchase of a house or a car
 Professionally, changes in an organisation can be:
 The introduction of a new methodology or process like Design for Six Sigma
 Venturing into adjacencies like a new product line
 New initiatives to enhance business competitiveness
 The big question is: “How much can an individual/ organisation change?” The rest of this
presentation attempts to answer this question, using a real incident.
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4. Sachin Tendulkar
 Sachin Tendulkar is probably the most famous Indian cricketeer and one of the best
batsmen in the world. Tendulkar holds many world records. Some of them are:
 He has scored 100 international centuries.
 He has scored the most runs in Test cricket.
 Just as important as his talent was his dedication and commitment to the game of
cricket.
 When he was a student, his coach gave him a coin every time he batted in nets without getting
dismissed. Tendulkar has 13 such coins.
 According to Sir Donald Bradman, Tendulkar is the batsman who most resembled his
batting style.
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5. Typical “wagon wheels” of Tendulkar’s
innings (double centuries)
 This is Sachin’s 248* against Bangladesh
in Dhaka in 2004-05. Source:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-
australia-
2010/engine/match/464527.html?view=w
agonwheel.
 This is Sachin’s 214 against Australia in
Bengaluru in October 2010. Source:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/
match/64111.html?view=wagonwheel.
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6. The first three Tests of the 2003–04
Australia vs. India series – 1 of 2
 The details of the 2003-04 series are available at
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/series/60755.html for reference.
 In the first inning of the first Test, Tendulkar was leg before wicket on the third ball for
a duck. Justin Langer and Sourav Ganguly scored centuries. The match was drawn.
 In the second Test:
 Ponting’s 242 helped Australia to 556.
 Tendulkar edged Andy Bichel to the wicket keeper Gilchrist for just 1 run. Dravid’s 233 and
Laxman’s 148 led India to 523.
 Australia made just 196 in the second inning.
 India chased down 233 to win the match. Tendulkar was leg before wicket to the leg spinner
MacGill for 37 runs in this inning.
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7. The first three Tests of the 2003–04
Australia vs. India series – 2 of 2
 Tendulkar was caught down the leg side in the third Test for another duck.
 Sehwag made a century, but Ponting replied with a double century.
 In the second inning, Tendulkar scored 44 before he drove a ball that is going wide, which went
to the wicket keeper. India lost the match.
 Tendulkar made just 82 runs in 5 innings in this series in the first three Tests.
 Questions were asked about Tendulkar’s form by this time.
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8. The fourth and final Test of the 2003 –
04 series
 India won the toss and bat first.
 Tendulkar came in at 128/2. He made 241 not out, as India amassed 705.
 Australia made 474 in reply helped by centuries by Langer and Katich.
 The match is drawn. Tendulkar is adjudged to be Man of the Match mainly for his unbeaten
double century.
 On day 1 of this match, Tendulkar had made 73. On day 2, he was not out on 220.
 Australia had set up a 7-2 field, i.e. there were 7 fielders on the off side.
 On day 1, he scored 54 runs on the leg side and just 19 on the off side.
 This inning of 241 not out is one of the most significant one among his innings.
 He faced 436 balls during this inning.
 He hit 33 fours.
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9. The wagon wheel of Tendulkar’s 241* in
the fourth Test
 Notice the differences in the 241*
compared to the other two wagon
wheels shown below also.
 There is not a single boundary through
the cover region.
 Most of the runs have come on the on
side (leg side).
 This is Sachin’s 241 against Australia in
Sydney in 2003-04. Source:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engin
e/match/64062.html?view=wagonwhee
l.
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10. Tendulkar’s description of his inning
 At the end of day 2 of the fourth Test, Tendulkar’s comments are available at
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/137313.html for reading.
 From the link:
 "I am very satisfied," he said. "I just decided to keep things simple," Tendulkar said when asked
at the press conference later if had decided on a game plan.
 “I would put this innings right at the top of my hundreds. I had a plan and I am happy I could
execute it well. I am happy that I was able to maintain the discipline throughout the innings.
Things had gone wrong a couple of times with my shot selection, and I knew I had to cut out a
few strokes.”
 Further, Tendulkar’s words reveal more about his game plan:
 "I had got out a couple of times to balls bowled outside the off stump," he said, "so I decided
not to play that stroke (the cover-drive). They were bowling consistently outside the off stump,
and I decided to leave all those balls. Then they had to bowl to me and I used the pace of the
ball.”
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11. What can we learn from this remarkable
inning of Tendulkar?
 First, Tendulkar analysed his low scores in the 2003-04 series.
 The Australian bowlers deliberately bowled wide outside the off stump, to make the Indian
batsmen play the cover drive. Tendulkar had been dismissed twice attempting such a shot.
 Second, as a result, he decided to change his batting style in the fourth Test. He
decided not to play a cover drive. This shows his greatness:
 During practice, Tendulkar would have learned to play the cover drive, repeating the stroke
many, many times. He fought against this instinct and consciously avoided playing the drive.
 In effect, he consciously changed his style for the inning.
 The key aspects here are:
 Analysis
 Planning
 Changing
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12. Lessons from Tendulkar’s 241*
 It is possible:
 To “stop” a “bad habit”
 Tendulkar avoided the cover drive in his inning of 241*;
 To “start” a good habit
 Tendulkar played the on side more, according to the field that Australia had set.
 One can analyse mistakes and improve!
 Change is possible. Planning is important for change.
 Tendulkar’s quote is repeated here to demonstrate his planning:
 “They were bowling consistently outside the off stump, and I decided to leave all those balls.”
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13. Applications from Tendulkar’s inning of
241*
 Analyse mistakes. Objective data is necessary to get proper insight.
 Tendulkar reviewed his dismissals and discovered that playing the cover drive got him out.
 Plan the improvement, based on the analysis.
 Before the Sydney Test in 2003-04, Tendulkar decided to avoid playing the cover drive and
instead concentrated on the leg side.
 Execute the plan.
 During the inning of 241, the Australian bowlers tested Tendulkar bowling to him outside the off
stump. He simply left those balls alone.
 The wagon wheel of his inning shows that not a single boundary was scored in the cover area.
 Rigorous execution of the right plan, based on the data will result in successful change.
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14. Thank you !
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