A Look At Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag, fondly called the ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’, brought joy immediately when he walked out to bat. I clearly remember Virender Sehwag made his Test debut at Bloemfontein. A youngster was facing up against Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Matthew Hayward and Jacques Kallis on a pace-friendly pitch.
Instead of succumbing to pressure and crumbling, Virender Sehwag executed a late cut over the slips on his way to scoring a superb century, which included nineteen boundaries!
Virender Sehwag was a trendsetter in a very unusual and simple manner. Virender Sehwag made batting look extremely easy to the eye. We must not forget the time he came into the team, too. India has the ‘godly’ touch of Sachin Tendulkar, the poise, grace and technique of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid and the dogged, fighting spirit of their captain Sourav Ganguly.
Sehwag modelled his batting stance on his idol Sachin Tendulkar, but he managed to leave his imprint on the game. No one can doubt his contribution to the Indian team or the fear he could instil in the opposition teams, especially if the pitches were conducive for batsmen.
Virender Sehwag will hold a special place in my heart. From what I can remember, if there were a cricketer my father was a fan of, it would have to be Virender Sehwag.
My father is a cricket fan who watches almost all games featuring India despite his hectic and tiring work schedule. He would be the first to switch off the TV if India lost! Of course, I have been on the receiving end many times when I continued to watch the game despite him leaving the room. This still happens even now.
Virender Sehwag made batting look so easy
I am sure my father would have had his favourites growing up from the 1970s and 1980s, but ever since I have had the good fortune to follow the sport and have any memory of watching TV with my family, especially Dad, I have never seen him more excited to watch a player on a TV screen! Such was his fondness for Virender Sehwag and his brilliance. He never followed the coaching manual but still tore apart the best bowling attacks in tough conditions.
My father would travel to different parts of the world and keep travelling to Pune for work every week, but when he came home and if India was playing, everything took a back-seat, especially when Virender Sehwag was at the crease. Viru could entertain, enthral, amaze and frustrate fans and people watching him- all in the same innings! But when he got going, there could be no stopping him ravaging opposition bowling attacks.
Viru’s Unorthodox Brilliance
His epic knock-in Multan, in which he became the first Indian to score a triple ton only to get it again himself against South Africa later, still stays fondly in every Cricket fan’s mind.
When the series was happening, it was the first time I had created an email ID of my own, and not too surprisingly, it was Sehwag. The knock’s impact on me was such clean hitting against some fine bowlers!
Anyone who followed Indian cricket in the 2000s couldn’t help but like this batsman. His batting was so effective that he could keep anyone and everyone engaged and hooked on to the game when he was at the crease.
I still vividly remember how he missed two more opportunities of getting triple centuries in his Test career- one in Melbourne, where he got out to a full-toss of Simon Katich when he was on 195, and the other chance was against Sri Lanka at the Brabourne stadium he fell for 289.
Iconic Triple Centuries and Enduring Impact
He truly deserved to get triple-centuries in both of those games. In 2003, he scored 195 runs within a day! This was much before the T20s changed how batsmen score at a higher rate than earlier.
Someone with limited foot movement completely relied on hand-eye coordination to produce such magic! The Delhi lad smoothly transitioned his effortless brilliance in Tests into formats made for a player of his ability and style—ODIs and T20Is.
Sehwag: The Entertainer Across Formats
For a batsman of his talent and ability, he probably didn’t do complete justice to his talent in the IPL, as he hasn’t dominated that tournament. I expected him to give Chris Gayle, ABD, a run for their money in the IPL, but that was not the case. A lot of that has to do with him playing in the fag end of his career in the IPL.
But probably two instances or events come to my mind very clearly when I think of Sehwag and his batting. In the 2002/2003 tour to New Zealand, the only batsman who could put bat to ball from India’s star-studded team was this young batsman rising the ranks.
Even the likes of Dravid and Tendulkar faltered to counter the pace and swing especially of Shane Bond, Darryl Tuffey and Kyle Mills at their peak on home conditions that suited them so well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2hpVceTiHo
The hundred Virender Sehwag hit in Hamilton in the second ODI is imprinted in my mind as the conditions were blistery, and the opposition had some fine bowlers. It was amazing to see how he backed his ability and was brutal on the square of the wicket. Indian fans would not remember that 2002/03 tour of New Zealand as the tour was a real let-down from the team, but Virender Sehwag made that tour his ‘coming of age’ series—fantastic batting against all odds.
Reflections on Missed Milestones
Another innings that come to my mind is his blistering start in the iconic World Cup 2003 match vs Pakistan. He tore apart Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar. He dominated the opening partnership with Sachin Tendulkar. The way he set up the chase in what was cricketing drama at its best- when you consider the crowds, the occasion and the pressure involved. Virender Sehwag may not have gone to hit a ton, but his quickfire will be fondly remembered even now.
IPL and Sehwag’s Legacy
Post-retirement, if there is one cricketer who speaks his mind the best after becoming a commentator, it has to be Viru. His rib-tickling one-liners in the Hindi commentary box are great fun to hear. I often switch to Hindi commentary to hear Viru, Irfan Pathan, and Aakash Chopra commentate. They are pretty good, and Sehwag adds that much-needed entertainment quotient that goes missing, generally in commentary, late.
Conclusion
Virender Sehwag, the entertainer, holds a special place in my heart and is a common link between me and my father. As someone who has quietly admired and constantly supported my writing, this article is even more special as I could present my version of what Virender Sehwag’s batting meant to someone whose cricketing sensibilities were shaped in the 2000s.
For my father, a lot of fun watching the game came down after the retirement of Virender ” Nawab of Najafgarh” Sehwag, but he still managed to watch most of India’s matches. Very few true entertainers grace the game, and Virender Sehwag ranks among the best we have witnessed, purely because of the joy he gave us with his batting style!