After my 281, Virender Sehwag told me he would score a triple hundred: VVS Laxman
The world has wondered how Virender Sehwag batted in such a carefree manner. I too have been amazed by the ease with which Sehwag took the attack to the opposition bowlers. But after seeing him bat from close quarters and being his teammate for over a decade, I realised that there was a method to Sehwag’s batting. He did not go out on the field and smash every ball blindly. I can tell you that he thought a lot about his game, he knew what worked for him and had a good understanding about his own strengths.
Among them was his clutter-free mind, a rare virtue that allowed him to play each ball in the manner he wanted to without getting bogged down by the reputation of the bowler or the opposition.
Another characteristic of Sehwag was the supreme confidence he had in his abilities. I got an insight into the belief he had in himself during a dinner in Pune way back in March 2001. Sehwag was part of the One-day International squad for the home series against Australia, which followed the Test matches. Just a couple of weeks earlier we had turned the series around with the memorable win at Eden Gardens. The 281 I made in Kolkata was the highest Test score by an Indian at that point in time. As we got chatting over dinner, Sehwag told me he would become the first Indian to score a triple hundred in Tests. And trust me, I had reason to believe that Sehwag would score a triple hundred in Tests.
So when he made the first triple century by an Indian— against Pakistan in Multan — he raised the bat towards me to say ‘see I told you so’. But Sehwag had the ability to make big scores even before he was picked to the Test squad.
During a Duleep Trophy game, while playing for North Zone against South Zone, in 1999 he had scored 274 (off 327 balls). The beauty of Sehwag’s batting is that he stuck to his gameplan — whether he was playing domestic cricket or facing the best bowlers in the world.
When watching him in the nets, I saw a batsman with the ability to play unique shots. Like his record indicates, he was an attacking batsman but what made him special was that he had the ability to make big scores. It was not only the fans who loved watching him bat but even his teammates enjoyed watching him bat from the dressing room or when batting with him in the middle.
Our middle order comprised, Rahul, Sachin, Sourav and myself but it was Sehwag who made the difference at the top of the order. He scored runs at such a fast pace that it demoralised the bowlers and upset the opposition captain’s plans. His ability to hit even good balls to the boundary frustrated bowlers and captains alike. If Sehwag batted for a session, it made things much easier for the batsmen who followed because we had runs on the board and the bowlers were already under pressure. Sehwag’s attacking batting allowed the Indian middle order to play their natural game.
I would say that Sehwag opening the innings was his gift to Indian cricket.
— As told to Nihal Koshie
