Aug. 26: Virender Sehwag’s ability to reinvent himself in ODIs has been the biggest bonus for Team India in the run-up to the World Cup. Going a touch subdued in the shorter format has only fuelled his enormous potential. For a batsman whose strike rate stands at 80-plus in Test cricket, his success rate in ODIs was way below. But it was only a matter of making a small adjustment to his approach in the shorter version.
Sehwag’s strength has been to keep it simple. Of the total runs the team has scored in this series, the opener has contributed 39.65%. “I was just watching how the wicket was behaving before I started playing my shots. I knew the bowlers will be on the back foot once I get a few boundaries,” said Sehwag. The opener had a valuable message to his team-mates who have refused to spend time in the middle.
The standout feature has been Sehwag’s ability to dominate when others are failing to fill in the percentages. “It was an extraordinary knock. When conditions get tough, it’s the mental make-up of a batsman that decides his success. The two knocks Sehwag has played is a tribute to his mental strength,” said chairman of selectors, Kris Srikkanth.
Of the 13 ODI hundreds that Sehwag has scored, India have won 12 times, losing just once. The dazzler has also made 36 half-centuries of which 27 have resulted in India’s victory. “Sehwag is an impact player who does not alter his style to different formats. In my book he is the greatest batsman of this era. He should walk into the all-time World XI by sheer strength of performance and entertainment value,” added Srikkanth.
The tour to Australia in 2007-08 was the turning point in Sehwag’s career. Dropped from the ODI team and also axed from the Test team for his poor run in the one-dayers, Sehwag has been a phenomenon after that mild slump. “Everyone has a style. It’s very easy to say things but it’s very difficult to react according to the merit of the ball. When I was young, it used to be tempting to hit and I used to get out in that confusion. So I either play or leave them rather than defending them,” explained Sehwag.
His approach has never been copybook but where Sehwag has left the others behind is making the technique work for him in the middle. Staying away from advice has been Sehwag’s biggest achievement. “What is technique if it does not help you get runs? I listen only to two former players, Sunil Gavaskar, because he stresses on the importance of a still head and Srikkanth as he has always encouraged me to play my natural game even when I am in a bad patch,” Sehwag had told this correspondent during his match-turning 83 against England at Chepauk in 2008 Test series.
In enjoying his own game, Sehwag continues to provide unlimited joy and is a refreshing change from the stereotypes. “I just go out and try to score. If I can’t, I will try and score in the next game. I am not playing for averages and records. With regards to the final, we won the first match they won the second, so now it’s our turn,” he said.