The cavalier's second coming

With the exception of a couple that were watched on television, I've been fortunate to watch all of Virender Sehwag's 14 centuries inside the stadiums that his strokeplay set alight. And despite all the hyperbole tonight, I can safely say that this wasn't his best.

The defining innings of Sehwag's career will always be that awe-inspiring 195 at the MCG on Boxing Day in 2003. To bat like he did over five hours, against the best team in the world and in front of a predominantly partisan crowd of 70,000, took some doing.

Brett Lee bowled furiously quick that morning, and Sehwag took one on the helmet before cutting loose with incredible ferocity after lunch. Stuart MacGill was treated like a net bowler, and only an impetuous heave within sight of 200 saved Australia from further punishment.

The true mark of batting greatness in this age is how you do against Australia, and the other two Sehwag innings I'll remember most fondly came at Chennai and Adelaide. At Chennai, on a pitch where other batsmen struggled for fluency, he was utterly dismissive of the finest attack that's come to the subcontinent in the past two decades.

The Adelaide innings was another story. Banished from the Test side for over a year, he had much to prove after sitting out the first two Tests in Australia. There were signs of a renaissance in Perth, but it was at the picturesque Oval that it all came together in glorious fashion. Sehwag had never struck a second-innings century before, and his effort was the difference between a draw and defeat.

With the mojo back, an innings like this was waiting to happen. Today, he was just masterful, toying with an attack that was completely lost in these placid conditions. There was certainly no lack of effort from the likes of Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn but bowling to Sehwag on a pitch like this is about as much fun as banging your head against a concrete slab.

Time after time, the ball was crashed through the covers, and even Paul Harris bowling into slight leg-stump rough couldn't deter him. The reverse-sweep was dusted off and played to great effect, as was the delicate paddle down to fine leg. Most eye-catching of all though was the stroke that VVS Laxman played to such telling effect against Shane Warne at the Eden Gardens during his 281. Harris would target the pads, and Sehwag could simply shuffle his feet before a powerful downward swing of the bat sent the ball screaming to the cover boundary.

It was sensational to watch, though you couldn't help but think about a pitch where only 11 wickets have fallen in three days of play. A tenth successive century in excess of 150, the fastest triple in terms of balls faced, a century in a session [108 between lunch and tea], the first instance of two consecutive double-hundred partnerships - the records were endless.

Much credit has to go to Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid though. They wore down the bowling at one end, accumulating 73 and 65 not out, and Sehwag had license to unleash his strokes at the other. Dravid spoke later of how it was like watching a highlights package and you couldn't really dispute that.

After 41 fours and five sixes, anything's possible, including the highest score ever. And the breathtaking pace at which he scored also means that a draw is no longer the only result possible. South Africa won't sleep easy tonight.

Comments

[Dileep]

This South African attack is certainly very good, but better than McGrath, Gillespie, Warne and Kasper? Seriously? That was only the best-balanced attack ever to play in the subcontinent, which is why those Indian wins in 2001 will never be surpassed.

[Alex]

This is best inning i watched. Better than all the sehwag innings. SA bowlers are formidable. Without sehwag , indian team got bundled out so quickly. He has knack of absorbing pressure. Other indian batsman fold under pressure. This inning is great to watch and i do not want to end , i did n't want to think to forward...it was like a dream!. you can't play so many shots and no chances. And every ball came middle of the bat. No wonder SA players were in AWE!.

[Viru'z Fan]

Man hes the da best a triple cenchurian in Multan AKA Multan da Sultan n a 319 in last test its amazing!! he has set records on the both ocassions he has blasted to a 300. on the first 1 he was the 1st 1 to score a 300 with a six can u belive it with a six ( i dunt knw hwo does he feel whn hes in 90-z 190-z or 290.s. and this time the fastest 1 ever and a 3rd man to blast with 2 triple century. in short words he is simply Phonomenal

sorry for speelling mistakes

[Ganga]

I think, sehwag is the better judge. When he himself says it is better innings palyed by him, i think we should concur.

I agree, sehwag palyed good knocks on better pitches. But this one stands out because, he satyed so long with out losing concentration. If he overcomes this loss of concetration, as he did on last two occasions, he will surely give night mares to bowlers....

As per jeet, check veeru's stas on different grounds......
He has centuries all over world, say SA,ENG,AUS and indeed scored two ODI centuries in NZ when every one else stuggled in seam and swing conditions....

what more i can say :-)

[Vin]

I've enjoyed the blog and the comments so far. I was quite amazed that Sehwag was not an automatic choice for the Australian series. Sometimes a team needs to back a player of exceptional quality right through the rough patches. India lost neither of the two test matches in Australia in which Sehwag played.

Sanjayn wrote:
>Last time Sehwag and Dravid were unbeaten overnight and close to a world record, there was the inevitable early dismissal when play resumed<

Assuming that this refers to the near-record 410 first wicket partnership by Sehwag and Dravid two years ago, the circumstances were not quite as suggested by the description. Pakistan had put on nearly 700 runs in the first innings (with four centuries, including a 199 run out by Younis Khan). The only way to respond under those circumstances is to bat and bat and bat. By the end of the fourth day's play, Sehwag and Dravid had reached 403 for no wicket, ten runs away from Mankad and Roy's 413, made fifty years earlier.

On the final day the weather intervened; a combination of rain and bad light kept the players off the field for most of the day. Eventually, in the mid-afternoon, under very poor light conditions, the players came back on, pretty much for the sole purpose of giving Dravid and Sehwag a shot at the record. Sehwag brought up his own 250 within a few deliveries, and then at 410/0 in near darkness he started fishing outside off stump in the hope of finishing it with a boundary over the slips. At the third attempt he edged a catch and that was that.

By then, it was desperately poor light out there, so one couldn't really blame Sehwag.

It wasn't really the usual sort of "inevitable early dismissal". In this case the weather was atrocious, and the only reason they got any minutes of play at all on the fifth day was because all the players involved were willing to give Sehwag and Dravid a sporting shot at the record.

[Jeet]

What to make of Viru? His Test record is sensational...averaging somewhere around 53 after this knock. He was probably dropped more because of his ODI form prior to the world cup.

Given the conditions I can't think of one player in the world who could have played that knock... perhaps Chris Gayle against a worse atack...but he averages around 40...which isn't that hot these days despite what Fleming and others may think.

But I can't help thinking Viru was lucky not to open in England last summer when it swung around corners. When the pitch and conditions has been really difficult I can't think of a really hard fought big innings by him. Although his 150 in the last Adelaide Test was brilliant, the pitch was hardly a minefield on the 5th day and there's as much lateral movement in Adelaide as there is in Chennai.

And the thrilling MCG 195 was against an undercooked Lee after his ankle op, and Bracken and Brad Williams, who were hardly formidable. Plus the Aussies dropped three dollies off him during that innings.

Maybe myself and others are harsher on him because when he gets it wrong it inevitably looks terrible due to his pretty ordinary technique. We should all probably just enjoy him while we can.

I do find it interesting though that everyone talks about having a settled opening combination yet Ian Chappell said something really interesting (shocking, I know) about horses for courses. I mean, bowlers are left out all the time because of the conditions, maybe batsmen like Viru are the same.

Anyway, good luck to him for tomorrow, he's single handedly made this Test exhilarating and reignited the Indian public's interest in Test cricket prior to the IPL, and for that he deserves that magical record of Lara's.

[SanjayN]

Dileep, I have to agree that the Melbourne innings was simply sensational. It's an innings that made Ian Chappell into his #1 fan. So much so that when the initial list of probables for the recent Oz tour was announced, and Sehwag's name was missing, a written piece from Chappell clearly influenced the selectors in making a U-turn. Kudos to the selectors too, we criticize them but lately they have made some outstanding choices.

One other world record that is under threat is John Edrich's 52 boundaries during his triple ton against NZ in the 70s.

Last time Sehwag and Dravid were unbeaten overnight and close to a world record, there was the inevitable early dismissal when play resumed. So, to use a clique, the first one hour will be crucial 2morrow.