In the low-scoring tri-nation series in Dumbulla, Sri Lanka last week, Sehwag topped the aggregate, average and strike-rate and was adjudged Player of the Series.
Be it a Test match, a one-day international or a Twenty20 big bash, he is the spectators’ delight, a sixomaniac who skies the ball whether he is on naught or 99. Also he has the twenty-twenty vision to see the ball a fraction earlier than most batsmen. Is he a genius or a dare-devil?
He hardly moves his feet as he jumps out and a sixer climbs the sky. Then he drives the ball effortlessly straight or through the covers a-la Ponting as the bowlers sigh: How do you solve a problem like Virender Sehwag?
He was dropped in the first two Tests against Australia in the controversial bollyline 2007-08 series in Australia. But after heeding to Ian Chappell’s advice Anil Kumble picked him in the next two and he scored 151 in the final Adelaide Test.
Australian spectators love his unorthodox batting as much as they cheer the elegant stroke-play of Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.
The Melbourne crowd had the thrill of watching dynamic opener Sehwag in full flight in the December 2003 Test. For five hours he enthralled the Boxing Day crowd of 62,600 by belting five sixes and 25 fours in his spectacular 195. Despite his fireworks India lost.
Sehwag arrived on the Test scene with a characteristic flourish. In his debut he batted at number 6 and scored 105 adding 222 runs with his hero Tendulkar for the fifth wicket after India was tottering at 4-68. This was against South Africa in the Bloemfontein Test of November 2001.
But soon he emerged as his own man.
In the 2004 Multan Test against Pakistan, as Tendulkar played a supporting role, Sehwag romped to 309, the first triple century by an Indian. And he brought it up with a six.
Two Tests and three months ago in Melbourne, he had been dismissed trying the same stroke five runs short of what would have been his first Test double-hundred.
At Multan Sehwag thrashed six sixes and 39 fours in his epic 309 off 375 balls.
His highest score is 319 at a strike-rate of 105 against South Africa in the March 2008 Chennai Test. It included five sixes and 42 fours. He had hammered 257 runs in a day.
He holds the Indian record for highest number of Test double-hundreds (seven) and came within seven runs of becoming the first batsman ever to register three triple-hundreds.
That innings of 293, against Sri Lanka in Mumbai last December, “epitomised the Sehwag brand of batsmanship: a mix of imagination, daring, power, skills, and clarity of vision,” to quote Sambit Bal in CricInfo.
Playing by instinct rather than by the book, Virender Sehwag has amassed 7039 runs at an average of 54.14 and strike-rate of 81.56, belting 79 sixes in 79 Tests.
That is a six every Test. Will he become the second batsman after Australia’s scintillating sensation Adam Gilchrist to smack 100 sixes in Test annals? As Sehwag is 31, he has age on his side.
The top seven six smashers in Test annals are Gilchrist (100 sixes in 96 Tests), West Indian Brian Lara (88 in 131), New Zealander Chris Cairns (87 in 62, hitting a record 1.4 sixes per Test), Windies legend Viv Richards (84 in 121), England’s Andrew Flintoff (82 in 79), Australia’s Matthew Hayden (82 in 103), and Virender Sehwag (79 in 79).
It may be noted that all these six-hitters are from post-1970s period. Would they have been as prolific if the boundary lines were not shortened in recent decades?
Plasmodium
Guest
VINAY - physical difference is something the neurologists endlessly discuss vis a vis its application in sports. They, and experienced opthalmologists, are at a loss to explain why certain players "see" the ball earlier and bigger than other players. And they can't explain why this talent deserts the same players at certain times. Physiologists are equally mystified by the ability of certain people to drive a golf ball 350 yards, or a baseball pitcher or bowler to deliver a ball at 97 mph. They put one man, an English amateurgolfer, through rigorous tests. Athough only 5'8" and 145 pounds, hecould easily outdrive muscular pros. They found nothing in his physical makeup that was any different to any other male his size. We don't have to look far for great examples of slight men who excelled with the bat - Bradman in cricket for one, and Bobby Richardson in baseball for another. Thank heavens the scientists found nothing, otherwise we'd have golems on the sports fields.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Whiteline, Greg Matthews is so frank and outspoken (even insulting on your face) that he would not praise anyone insincerely. A praise from 'Mo' is always well-earned. At the LBW Trust function on Tuesday both MacGill and Matthews (and other spinning greats) praised people who were not in the room, namely young Steven Smith. All the guest spinners felt sorry for today's spinners as the pitches and 75 metre boundary line don't favour them. When the MC Stephanie Brantz asked MacGill whether he felt disappointed that his best days coincided with Shane Warne's, he answered philosophically that the really unfortunate one is the wicket-keeper. You may have one or two spinners in an XI but ONLY one wicket-keeper. Gavin Robertson and Peter Taylor spoke highly of Viv Richards and 17 year-old Sachin Tendulkar. But they were full of praises for Allan Border. "Day in and day out, Border never gave an inch."
Whiteline
Guest
Almost as big a bombshell as them saying that whilst Hauritz is in the room - amazing!
Brett McKay
Guest
"MacGill and Matthews disagreed on many issues" There's a bombshell, Kersi!!
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
I attended a highly entertaining charity cricket dinner organised by the LBW (Learning for a Better World) Trust on Tuesday. The theme was Flippers and Doosras and the guests were australian spinners Stuart MacGill, Peter 'Who' Taylor, Greg Matthews, Gavin Robertson, Murray Bennett and Nathan Hauritz. MacGill and Matthews disagreed on many issues but were unanimous on one. This was that Hauritz has great potential and will do well in India and in the Ashes series. Let's wait and see.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Plasmodium,what a perceptive observation. This leads to the oft quoted keeping the mind clear and playing only the next ball. Many of us live and die by our perceptions and never stop to think. I agree the greats are seperated by their ability to decipher movement and react quicker. I wrote about this 12 months ago and quoted studies done on SAS soldiers and their decision making.
Josh
Guest
Sehwag is my favorite cricketer (outside Australia). He is one of a select few who can change the whole dynamic of a test match in a session with his explosive play. Definetly a genius. I hear comments that Indian players will be focused on the Champions League but I believe the Aussies will go to India with one eye on the Ashes. I do not think this seris will reach any great heights but predict India to win and retain their number 1 ranking and honestly that won't upset me much. However if we are to then go on and lose the Ashes I will be handing in my Australian citizenship.
Plasmodium
Guest
Whatever the pitch or the toss in India, one thing will remain constant for most batsmen, and that is the perception of the flight of the ball. According to a leading physicist, a batsman perceives the trajectory of a fast delivery to be ever so slightly higher than it actually is, and also perceives the ball rising from the bounce to be slightly higher than it actially is. Could this partly explain why some batsmen revel in fast bowling and some don't - that certain batsmen have a clearer idea of the flight of the ball? Could be.
Plasmodium
Guest
Kersi - I remain fascinated by Virender's partner. For anybody who hasn't viewed it I recommend the YouTube video of Tendulkar's opposite field sixes against Akhtar and Fernando. You'll also note, in the same video, that his sixer against a not-so-quick Caddick is performed with almost a shuffle step as he hooks the ball. Another example of the greats throwing out the instruction manual and making up their own techniques.
sheek
Guest
Yeah, Sehwag is very special. We're lucky to have witnessed him in our time.
Fisher Price
Guest
IAs I see it, India's attack is weak and Australia's batting is weak, so all eyes on the pitches...
Lolly
Guest
Mitchell Johnson bowled rubbish last ODI series (that phrase is in some ways redundant) against India but got Sehwag bowled three times reasonably cheaply. That is about the only way I see us getting him out. Hauritz isn't going to bother the top 6 of India. If he does, they'll really go down in my estimation and/or he'll go up. Dougie has been good so far any time he has bowled in India but test matches are different to short formats and no one is going to have to try and hit him around. All the Aus bowlers bowl too short and wide habitually, even Hilfenhaus. It is their big weakness. India is very dependent on Zaheer Khan's fitness and form.
Whiteline
Guest
I'm with Kersi - Sehwag is something else. The only saving grace for Australia is that Siddle isn't playing. I'll be very surprised if Sehwag doesn't have a huge impact on the series. The only way to stop him is by him getting bored or not rating bowlers. Maybe Punter should bring on Smith and Hauritz straight away?
JohnB
Guest
Big call Vinay! Depending on how the pitches actually turn out, my first impression would have been each side would have trouble bowling the other out twice - India's batting remains very strong, despite some of the greats getting pretty venerable, but the bowling has looked toothless of late. Australia on the other hand never seems to quite adapt to batting long enough on low and slow pitches, and while the team looks better balanced, there are questions over lots of them - none of this is new, but taken together it does give a bit of pause - should Watson open, should Ponting still be at 3, should Hussey and North be still there at all, should Paine be ahead of Hartley (or others), can Smith take wickets at Test level, was Hauritz's improvement last year real or a product of not so great opposition, can Johnson get back to something like his best, how will Bollinger and Hilfenhaus go in unhelpful conditions, will George and Hazlewood take a step up if given a chance?
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Kersi, I am predicting a 2-0 win to Australia. Harbhajan is too busy concentrating on the Champions League and his darts will not be effective in Mohali. This is a seamers pitch and with Ishant and Zaheer struggling I feel Australia has the edge. Australia's batting first will be a huge bonus in India. The toss is more crucial than normal.