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Virender Sehwag keeps marching to a different beat, massacring pace and spin alike.
The Sri Lankans are at the receiving end this time around and they aren’t happy recipients.
After the exit of Adam Gilchrist from the hallowed sport , Sehwag is dreaded most by bowlers around the world.
It is not that he simply dominates the bowling; he takes the match by the scruff of its neck and turns it inside out.
Bowlers are said to win games. But Sehwag is a match-winner, in every sense of the term. He is a captain’s delight and when on song is a treat to watch. He is unorthodox but it is this very trait that makes his batting a thing of beauty forever.
He is belligerent,in the Richards mold. But he is ever humble; not for him the swagger and bravado of the West Indian legend.
Quote of the day:
Advice to writers: Sometimes you just have to stop writing. Even before you begin. – Stanislaw J. Lec
That does not prevent him humiliating even the most seasoned Test campaigner.
There are batsmen and batsmen and then there’s Sehwag.
He has been termed the Nawab of Najafgarh; the butcher from South Delhi. It is as though Delhi felt left behind in Tendulkar’s wake but the Gods smiled on their penance and gifted them Sehwag. I term him ‘Delhi’s gift to cricket’.
He started his career labeled a Tendulkar clone. The similarities in stance, build and the ability to dominate the bowling are striking.
But the pupil has gone on to emblazon a trail of his own.
He has two Test triple centuries to his credit ; he could have had three had he been more cautious.
The Sri Lankans have seen him score two tons and a 99 this summer. And there is yet the small matter of an inning left in the series.
To make matters worse for the Lankans, he also has six wickets to his name. And the devils in the pitch promise that he looks to add a few more during their final outing in Colombo.
He has crossed the golden Rubicon of 7000 Test runs in his last knock; he is the fastest to do so in terms of Tests and the second quickest in terms of innings.
The man is just thirty two and has a good three – four years of top-flight cricket in him yet. He could well be the next Indian batter to make ten thousand Test runs. Will he? Won’t he? With Sehwag, you never know. Cricket is said to be an unpredictable sport and Sehwag lives it to the bone.
He scores his runs at a furious pace at almost a run a ball. In addition,he is a shrewd reader of the game and a canny bowler. He has been called the finest off-spinner in the country by Bishan Singh Bedi. Bedi, of course, was being less than complimentary to the current crop of Indian spinners. But Bedi’s praise speaks volumes about Sehwag’s abilities.
He was next in line for the captaincy after Saurav Ganguly but dogged inconsistency and a raw deal by the then bunch of selectors put paid to those aspirations. He , however, has let his willow do the talking since; his name is now probably the only one after Tendulkar’s to be chalked down with nary a thought by the current selection committee. He enjoys the confidence of the chairman of selectors – Srikkanth – whose batting was modeled on similar lines but with far lesser talent.
Seven thousand runs and counting.Another seven thousand plus runs in ODIs.
What can we say to Sehwag except “Keep going”. May those mountains of runs keep piling up. We enjoy watching you play and hope to enjoy doing do so for a few more years.
Sehwag, we salute you, we applaud you, we raise a toast to you! You are a classic!
Have a great day!
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