Weapon of Ball Destruction - [[-¤--^ V I R U ^--¤-]]

[ajaybaskar]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdli8ognNNY

[ajithfederer]

What shewag said is right. He was just trying to illustrate the point that when opening explosive batsmen(thats why he used warner, gilly and tendulkar) tend to bat for more overs they can win matches. I don't see anything more to be read into that.

[venkkiram]

அந்த 'நான்' அகந்தையில் வருவதல்ல.. ஆர்வக்கோளாறால் வருவது.. எனக்கு அப்படித் தோணல.ஆனால் நன்றாக ஆடி ரன்கள் எடுக்கும்வரை அது ஒரு பிரச்சினையே அல்ல. "எனக்கு எல்லாமே தெரியும்..." என்ற எண்ணம் அவர் ஆட்டத்தை சிதைக்காமல் இருந்தாலே போதும்.

[venkkiram]

இருபது /இருபது ஆட்டங்களில் பெரும்பாலானோர் அதிரடி ஆட்டக்காரர்கள் தான். இனியும், கில்லி, சேவகர் என்ற ஆட்கள் மட்டுமே சாதிக்க முடியும் என்ற குறுகிய வட்டத்தில் சொல்லிக்கொண்டிருக்க முடியாது. அணிக்கு இருவர், மூவர் - சேவகர் தான். மேலும், நேற்று சேவகரின் ஆட்டமும் டெக்கன் அணியின் கேவலமான ஃபில்டிங்கினால் தப்பிப் பிழைத்தது.

[ajaybaskar]

Ennaal(um) mudiyum - Thannambikkai
Ennaal mattumthaan mudiyum - Thalaikkanam

Ubayam: Sivakumarakumarar.

[ajaybaskar]

Venkki,

I dont know about T20. But Sehwag is definitely a proven matchwinner in the other formats. Best example: The 2008 Eng Vs India test match in Chennai. The target was 386. A full day and 20 overs left. Everybody was expecting a draw or England win. In came Sehwag. Blasted out the bowlers. 120 odd at the end of the 4th day. Just 260 to win on the final day. Sachin and Yuvi finished off it in style.

[sathya_1979]

Tests and T20 - Yes, ODI - not that much

[SoftSword]

இருபது /இருபது ஆட்டங்களில் பெரும்பாலானோர் அதிரடி ஆட்டக்காரர்கள் தான். இனியும், கில்லி, சேவகர் என்ற ஆட்கள் மட்டுமே சாதிக்க முடியும் என்ற குறுகிய வட்டத்தில் சொல்லிக்கொண்டிருக்க முடியாது. அணிக்கு இருவர், மூவர் - சேவகர் தான். மேலும், நேற்று சேவகரின் ஆட்டமும் டெக்கன் அணியின் கேவலமான ஃபில்டிங்கினால் தப்பிப் பிழைத்தது.

venki, if u could spend sometime reading af's post above, u could understand why he mentioned gilly, sachin, warner and himself there... he was mentioning about the way openers could command a game...

[ajithfederer]

Ninga final day poi paathinga illa?

Venkki,

I dont know about T20. But Sehwag is definitely a proven matchwinner in the other formats. Best example: The 2008 Eng Vs India test match in Chennai. The target was 386. A full day and 20 overs left. Everybody was expecting a draw or England win. In came Sehwag. Blasted out the bowlers. 120 odd at the end of the 4th day. Just 260 to win on the final day. Sachin and Yuvi finished off it in style.

[ajaybaskar]

Yup.. Vaazhkaila naan panna uruppadiyaana vishayangalla adhuvum onnu.. :-)

http://i52.tinypic.com/qow3de.jpg

Sachin and Yuvi batting..

[venkkiram]

Venkki,

I dont know about T20. But Sehwag is definitely a proven matchwinner in the other formats. Best example: The 2008 Eng Vs India test match in Chennai. The target was 386. A full day and 20 overs left. Everybody was expecting a draw or England win. In came Sehwag. Blasted out the bowlers. 120 odd at the end of the 4th day. Just 260 to win on the final day. Sachin and Yuvi finished off it in style.

சார், நான் டெஸ்ட், ஒரு நாள் ஆட்டத்தைப் பற்றி பேசவே இல்லையே! நீங்கள் சொல்வது முற்றிலும் உண்மை. குறிப்பாக, சேவகரின் புண்ணியத்தில் டிராவாக முடிந்திருக்க வேண்டிய சில டெஸ்ட் ஆட்டங்களில் நாம் ஜெயித்தோம். உதாரணமாக சேப்பாக்கத்தில் தென்னாப்பிரிக்கவிற்கு எதிராக அவர் அடித்த முச்சதங்களை சொல்லலாம். 304 பந்துகளில் 319 ரன்கள்.

ஆனால் இங்கு பேசுவது இருபது/இருபது ஆட்டங்களை. சேவகர்,கில்லி, வார்னர் இவர்கள் இல்லாமல் இருந்தாலும் இருபது/இருபது ஆட்டங்கள் சிறப்பாகத் தான் இருக்கும் என்பது என் பார்வை. நிறைய அதிரடிக் காரர்கள் வந்த வண்ணம் இருக்கிறார்கள்.

[ajithfederer]

A stadium view is always special.

[Sourav]

அந்த 'நான்' அகந்தையில் வருவதல்ல.. ஆர்வக்கோளாறால் வருவது..
+1...
If he is arrogant, he wouldn't have told these...
When asked as to why his teammates are not being able to produce quality performance, the skipper jumped to their defence.
"If you look at the 10 games that we have played, I have performed in only three matches. In that respect, even I have also not been consistent. "
After the first 5 matches, he told 'i am not doing well, i have to look at myself to get some runs for my team'.
Arrogant-a irukkkuravan ellam epdi ithellam solluvan.... i dont think so... but, to be honest its bit irritating even to a ardent fan like me wen he says "I" in every pre/post match talks,..(unintentional or not, he should realize and avoid) appo neutrals-ku epdi irukum... he has to learn these things from his idol, that will earn him more respect....

[Plum]

Sourav, to be clear, I have absolutely no problem with arrogance. I am just not impressed with the captaincy.

[Sourav]

Its confirmed now,
Sehwag to undergo shoulder surgery, out of IPL
Virender Sehwag will miss the rest of the IPL after deciding to undergo surgery on his injured right shoulder. The operation is due to take place later this week and, with recovery time pegged at six to eight weeks, it should rule him out of India's upcoming tour of the West Indies, from June 4, and perhaps even the England series that begins in mid-July.

"It will be a miracle if he plays another match," PB Vanchi, director of GMR Sports, owners of Delhi Daredevils, said. Delhi - who will now be led by James Hopes - are currently seventh in the points table and, with three games left, have a slim chance of making it to the qualifiers.

Vanchi said the decision was taken after Sehwag held talks on his injury with the BCCI, who advised him to undergo surgery as soon as possible. "He has a problem, he struggled in the last match too. The BCCI is making the arrangements for the surgery," Vanchi said. "They are waiting for a date. If he needs surgery we are not going to be coming in the way."

Sehwag confirmed the development and is expected to travel to London at the earliest for the surgery. The injury is the same one that had ruled him out of the two World Twenty20s and, more recently the one-day series in South Africa in January. Sehwag was declared fit in time for the World Cup after having undergone rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. Though he did not bowl during India's victorious campaign, Sehwag finished seventh overall in the run charts, in the tournament, including a blistering century in the opening game against Bangladesh.

Sehwag's decision to play the IPL was always going to be potentially risky, especially in light of the heavy workload during the World Cup. But he had the dual responsibility of leading Delhi as well as being their best batsman. Sehwag is currently the top scorer in the IPL with 424 runs and his loss is likely to further hamper Delhi's chances, who have managed just four wins out of their 11 games played so far.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-premier-league-2011/content/story/514385.html

[VinodKumar's]

Good Decision. Intha team kaaga veladurathuku poitu rest eduthutu varalam ... Varusa kadaisila aruvadai vela neraya irruku.

[Sourav]

I will be back for England tour: Sehwag

Mumbai: Virender Sehwag is confident of being fit for the tour of England in July after undergoing shoulder surgery in London last week.

"I think I will able to play the series in England. That's the reason why I stopped playing the Indian Premier League for Delhi Daredevils and rushed to London to get my shoulder operated," said Sehwag, who was expected to reach Delhi last night.

The Delhi dasher was operated by Dr Andrew Wallace, the same surgeon who attended to Sachin Tendulkar a few years ago. "I will return to London after six weeks for a check-up. I should be fit in six to eight weeks.

Going by the rehabilitation programme designed for me I should be okay. I am already feeling the difference each day," said Sehwag.

During his short visit to London, Sehwag stayed put in his hotel room. The only time he ventured outside was to check into the hospital for the one-hour surgery.

He didn't even carry warm clothes to cope with London's cooler weather (18 to 20 degrees).

Sehwag enquired about the Indian squad to the West Indies which the selectors picked last week. As soon as this correspondent informed him about Mahendra Singh Dhoni being given a rest, he said, "then it has to be Gauti (Gautam Gambhir) as captain." When he learned about the 16-man team for the limited overs series, he said: "It is a good side which should do well on West Indies wickets."

It can be recalled that Sehwag was not picked for the 2007 tour of England where India won a Test series for the first time since 1986.
http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/item/173553-i-will-be-back-for-england-tour-sehwag

Wish him a speedy recovery!

[Sourav]

old pic... very nice one.

http://i52.tinypic.com/2ia991e.jpg

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgUtHDDADFc&feature=feedlik


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg1_h-6Hy-0&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLijSkZn_fk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9MsD9ATFN8&feature=feedu

Virender Sehwag 90 vs Zim in VB Series 03_04

[Sourav]

thanks a lot for the videos, will watch later....

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyUzlJeQYtY&feature=feedrec_grec_index

Sehwag's 1st ODI Century - India v.s New Zealand

[Sourav]

David Warner attributes his improved first-class form to Virender Sehwag
http://blogs.bettor.com/David-Warner-attributes-his-improved-first-class-form-to-Virender-Sehwag-a72166

[Sourav]

Trying hard to get fit for Eng series: Sehwag
Virender Sehwag is working very hard to attain full fitness so that he can be a part of the Indian squad for the tour of England which starts next month. “I am getting better and working hard on my rehabilitation. Hopefully, I will be back soon. I am trying very hard to be fit so that I can play in during the England tour,” Sehwag said.

Sehwag admitted that it is difficult to sit at home and watch his teammates slog it out but there is very little one can do about it.

“It is very difficult when you are sitting at home and watching India playing against the West Indies. It’s very frustrating but you can’t do anything. It is because of the shoulder injury, I have to sit out and do my rehab.”

About maintaining the top rank in Tests, he feels that it will take a lot of effort on the part of the Indian team to stay there for considerable period of time. “We are maintaining this position from the last one year or so.”
http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/71/201106242011062421543335995fff5cb/Trying-hard-to-get-fit-for-Eng-series-Sehwag-.html

[ajithfederer]

yo sourav seekiram fitaaga sollu man. Ingilaandhula avanavan romba salambittu irukaan.

[Plum]

Englandla sehwag useless. Thambi Dinesh Karthik-ai koopidunga

[CHELLA(M)PORIKKI]

england la illa all area layum sehwag adicha athu bountary thaan... he is ghilli of cricket... if sachin is class with mass then sehwag is mass with class... :)

[satissh_r]

Englandla sehwag useless. Thambi Dinesh Karthik-ai koopidunga

Enaku sirikaratha illa perumoochu vidrathunnu therila.....

[Sourav]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/india-in-england/top-stories/Without-Sehwag-India-arent-the-same/articleshow/9403689.cms

[Sourav]

Sehwag to arrive in England on August 2
http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-india-2011/content/current/story/525603.html

[wizzy]

Atleast we had sehwag's injury as an excuse to paper over cracks..will be fully exposed in the third test..no point risking him in this series.

[Sourav]

Sehwag is suffering from partial hearing loss... :(

[P_R]

kaNNAdi vikkirAngaLA?

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Excellent article on sehwag ...

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/magazine/author.html?author=364;genre=388

[VinodKumar's]

West Indies tour of India, 4th ODI: India v West Indies at Indore, Dec 8, 2011

43.3

Russell to Sehwag, FOUR, 81.7 mph, There it is. Sehwag is the second man to reach a double-century in ODIs. A man has run onto the field with flowers for Viru. He cuts this past point, to the right of third man. No chance for the diving man. He punches the air in delight. Pure delight. Hugs Rohit Sharma. Then takes his time to acknowledge all sections of the crowd. Removes the helmet. Casts a glance at the sky. Pure delight. Tendulkar is somewhere in a Singapore Airlines flight. Or he might have just reached Australia. His record is no more.

Shewag :clap: :clap: :clap:

[littlemaster1982]

Where's Mr. Ramal :huh:

[VENKIRAJA]

Only thala fossifle

[sathya_1979]

Partying, I guess!

[VinodKumar's]

Where's Mr. Ramal :huh:

Cricinfo : " A man has run onto the field with flowers for Viru."

Ithu oru vela Ramal la irukumo :huh:

[KV]

:lol:

[venkkiram]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/139900/139933.2.jpg

Virender Sehwag finished with 219 from 149 balls, at a strike rate of 146.97. Only five times has a 150-plus score been made at a better rate.

:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:

[wizzy]

This was written before he got his double ton..captures the essence of Sehwag

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/dec/08/virender-sehwag-david-warner

[ajaybaskar]

"I am happy I have broken my role model’s record, that is no parameter. I don’t think anyone can make 200 [runs] again and again because in so many years only two double-hundreds have been scored in [one-day] international cricket. But there are other exciting players who can do this, like Chris Gayle [from West Indies] and Shane Watson from Australia. If they play [all] 50 overs [of an innings], they can score the runs. However, I was happy I surpassed Sachin’s score," Sehwag said.

[Plum]

Watson can sure break the record...

[Cinemarasigan]

213 runs in an one-day match... :clap:

Missed watching it live.. oru dvd-la write paNNi vachukkaNum...

MaraNA adi... I don't think any one will beat this...

[ajaybaskar]

Its 219, bro. :)

[ajaybaskar]

msdhoni Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Welldone viru pa, double it up

msdhoni Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Ppl thought there r a few who cd score 200 after paji,I always believed there is only one, one of our modern era legends- virender sehwag

[steveaustin]

Watson can sure break the record...

Nice chatterjee. Plum. Anyway, Watson had a great chance to score even a triple hundred against Bangladesh on that day than any other player in ODIs. Still unbeaten 185 of 96 balls is certainly a good innings. However, I would still rate
1. 175 by Gibbs (No.1)
2. Steve Waugh's (No.2) 120 odd runs vs SA in S6 match and
3. King Richards' (No.3) 189 vs England were the greatest innings I've ever seen in ODIs till date. I've not seen Kapil's 175*.

[venkkiram]

http://p.imgci.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/139900/139969.jpg

[Sourav]

Bowling greats admit Sehwag fear factor

Mumbai: Like most of Virender Sehwag's hundreds, there were records aplenty at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Thursday. The destructive opener already holds the record for the third fastest double-hundred in Tests, the fastest triple hundred (since the time number of balls per innings were recorded), the highest Test score by an Indian, and others.

But numbers will never tell the story of this once-in-a-lifetime batsman. Now, Sehwag also boasts of the highest score by any batsman in a small matter of 3,223 ODIs. Through all this carnage, Sehwag has not done any favours to bowlers over the years. MiD DAY spoke to four great bowlers who were recipients of his wrath:

Saqlain Mushtaq (Before the Multan Test in 2003-04, Saqlain enjoyed a stellar run against India -- 24 wickets from three Tests with four five-wicket hauls. But Saqlain didn't have to contend with Sehwag during those three Tests. The Multan Test was the last time Saqlain represented Pakistan, finishing with figures of 1-204 from 43 overs. Sehwag's 309-run blitzkrieg was, in a way, responsible for ending his international career.)

"What happed at Multan was unfortunate for me on a personal level.

"But what he did there -- getting 100, 200 and 300 with sixes -- proved to me that he was not an ordinary player. The sort of concentration he possesses, the fact that he doesn't fear any bowler, his positive attitude, I truly salute him as a modern day great. I must admit that he put some fear in me (while I was bowling). I like him a lot, and appreciate his game. I am a big fan of his.

In my defence, I had not practised for close to six months before that Multan Test. I was playing with pain-killing injections. I always got pleasure while bowling against players like Sachin (Tendulkar) and Brian (Lara). I put Sehwag in that same category after that Multan Test. Unfortunately, the powers-that-be didn't want me to bowl to him ever again. As you know, my career ended with that Test. I regret that I could never bowl to him again. But that's how life is. The knock he played today (against West Indies) was special and only he could have done something like this.

Chaminda Vaas (This retired Sri Lankan seamer was at the other end when Sehwag blasted 201 runs off 231 balls in the 2008 Galle Test. Sehwag remained unbeaten and became only the second Indian after Sunil Gavaskar to carry his bat through a Test innings. Later, in the 2008 Asia Cup final -- Vaas witnessed Sehwag blast 60 runs off just 36 balls. That was their last encounter).

"Oh, what can I say about this genius. I bowled a lot to Sachin (Tendulkar), Azhar (Mohammed Azharuddin) and other Indians, but I found nobody more difficult to stop. When he gets going, he's got the calibre to score big hundreds. He's never satisfied. He's a player who can make a lot of runs in whatever format or conditions. I think it's become easier to score a double (ton) in ODIs now with powerplay rules, but I don't want to take any credit away from him. As a bowler, you need to have patience against him as he's always trying to dominate.

I used to try and bowl in the same spot for six balls in a row, bowl wicket-to-wicket, but you can't do that against Sehwag. I have managed to get him out many times, but I was lucky. Wherever I bowled, he managed to find ways to score. His batting has improved recently because he plays more through the leg-side. I want to congratulate him for his fantastic double ton. It will give more bowlers around the world nightmares now (laughs). The only way to get him is in the first few overs.

Makhaya Ntini (This retired South African pacer actually had the wood on Sehwag on many occasions during the Test rubbers in 2001-02 and 2006-07. But all that was erased from his memory during Sehwag's triple century against South Africa at Chennai in 2008. He conceded 128 runs from just 28 overs but guess who removed Sehwag for 319?)

"He's simply one of the best I have bowled to. It's particularly not easy to bowl to him on flat wickets. He can destroy you and leave you demoralised. As a bowler, there's not a lot you can try, especially if the pitch is flat. If there is some movement in the air or extra bounce, you can do some things. But world cricket is full of flat tracks today, and that's why a batsman like him becomes more dangerous. During that triple hundred at Chennai, we tried everything.

I remember Dale (Steyn) and I went around-the-wicket, and tempted him with wide balls, with fielders in catching positions, and still he kept finding ways to score through his pads. In the end, I was happy to dismiss him. Though he got 319, it was still a wicket. I am happy that he has got a one-day double century. He's a great bloke. Though he shows no respect to bowlers on the field, he's a fantastic person and person. Cheers, Viru."

Shaun Pollock (This retired South African great had many fascinating battles against Sehwag. When Sehwag scored Test century on debut at Bloemfontein in 2001-02, it was Pollock who clean bowled him on both occasions. However, he rarely dismissed Sehwag in the final few years of his career. Who can ever forget Sehwag's 62-ball 77 against South Africa at Bangalore in November 2005?)

"To be honest, when he crossed 130-odd, I had a feeling that he was going to get it. I haven't been watching a lot of cricket, but I actually saw this match. It was a phenomenal knock, one of the best knocks in one-day cricket. I wouldn't say he put a fear factor in me while I was bowling but definitely he's someone that made me think as a bowler.

When he scored that 319 against us at Chennai, he scored so many runs in unconventional areas where you don't see batsmen scoring in Test matches. I remember he played lot of reverse-sweeps and kept generating unique ways of scoring. I was glad to have retired by then, but did bowl to him a lot before. He's a champion batsman. Definitely someone who puts bowlers on the back foot... I am not surprised that it's Sehwag who has broken the record of another great Sachin Tendulkar"

http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/features/specials/item/182137-bowling-greats-admit-sehwag-fear-factor

[selvakumar]

Veeru was lucky today but was a delight to watch as usual :) When he got out looked at the scorecared and India was at 90+. Sehwag = 60+ :)
Expect him to punch Patti by end of this series. Lyon adutha match irukka maattan. iruntha sehwag adikirathula career ae mudiya chance irukku

[selvakumar]

Intha kosu aakash chopra ellam Sehwag pathi pesura nelamai vanthiruchae :banghead:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/554424.html

[selvakumar]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/video_audio/579221.html

Ian C on Sehwag and selects his 195 vs Aus in Melbourne as his XI favorite century. :clap: :clap:

Look at the excitement in his eyes when he describes the way Sehwag plays. He says he is a tremendous asset to the Indian team :wink:

[selvakumar]

Happy (Belated) birthday wishes to Viru..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfnesZXC2Fk

Test match strike rate : 82+ :clap:

[CEDYBLUE]

Sehwag plays his 100th test tomorrow :notworthy:- Viru Take a Bow!!!!
http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/current/story/592414.html


'Hit the ball, enjoy the sound'
Virender Sehwag's unorthodox style and approach to the game has redefined Test batting at the top and his impact for India and on world cricket should outlast his recent slump in overseas form


If it were possible, Virender Sehwag would have gone from 94 Tests to 100 in one match. That's what he usually wants to do once he reaches 94 in a Test innings. Even if it means risking getting stumped on 99 off the first ball he is facing from a debutant spinner. If he had hit a six of caps when 94 not out, Sehwag fans - and I am one of them - would have been able to stop facts from coming in the way of a good story.

Those facts that were driven home during his struggles in Australia. Hard as you tried, you couldn't live in denial and shrug it off by saying, "That's the way he plays." There, he even tried to buckle down for the team's good but was simply not good enough. Against the moving, bouncing new ball, his minimal footwork proved inadequate. The bowlers no longer feared bowling to him, especially if they could get it to rise rib high or move after pitching. With every confused dismissal, Sehwag reminded you he had gone from Adelaide to Adelaide without a century outside Asia in four years.

During the same period, though, Sehwag delighted with his dominance in Asia. He scored his second triple-century, in Chennai, plundered 293 of the most delightful runs in Mumbai, 201 of the most difficult ones in Galle, and even Usain-Bolted the record for the highest score in ODIs, a format he has never quite mastered. On numerous other occasions Sehwag stole results from the jaws of draws through his strike-rate in India's first innings. Often he targeted the best bowlers in the opposition so hard he practically eliminated them. To overlook this impact will be to stop facts from coming in the way of a depressing story.

The Sehwag story is anything but depressing. It is, for the most part, one of unabashed joy, of lack of inhibition, of a reminder that nine fielders can cover only so much of the field, of redefining good and bad balls, of playing scarcely believable shots with a bat whose inside edge is visible only to the bowler, of daring left-arm spinners to give up negative tactics with the promise that he will hit them for a six off the first ball they bowl from round the stumps, of pulling through mid-off to counter deep-square fields and short and wide bowling and later saying he can't play boring cricket, of failing when trying to go from 195 to 201 in one hit but still trying it in future at 295, of a reminder that cricket is just a sport after all.

You might look at Sehwag struggling in certain conditions - for just four of his 12 years, lest it be forgotten - and flourishing in certain others (you just can't ignore the number of big centuries he has scored at that strike rate) and call him a product of his times. You couldn't be more wrong.

Sehwag is not a product of his time; his times are a product of him. That's one box ticked for sure on the greatness list. He didn't just redefine opening in Tests, he did so without being an opener by training. You see openers - Watson, Gayle, Dilshan, Warner - trying to intimidate bowlers today. Sehwag started it. And he started it when asked to open the innings because the Indian middle order, his preferred station, was too packed. He gave meaning to the vague term "staying beside the line of the ball". To do it once in a while is okay, but you don't do it with his alarming regularity by fluke. He has scored six centuries at more than a run-a-ball, and taken three of them past 250. Three of the five fastest double-centuries, and five of the top 10, belong to him. He has done it not through brute strength, but through delightful manipulation of fields.



"You just react to the ball. If the ball is there to be hit, you just hit it. Don't worry that this is a Test or one-dayer or T20. You just hit it. Because it's your routine. You are not worried about 'what if I get out'. You are not worried about a four or a sixer, one or two. You just hit the ball. And enjoy the sound."
Virender Sehwag's take on batting

Sehwag batted as if meditating. "You just react to the ball," he once told me. "If the ball is there to be hit, you just hit it. Don't worry that this is a Test or one-dayer or T20. You just hit it. Because it's your routine. Every time you practise in the nets, you just go and see the ball and hit the ball. You are not worried about 'what if I get out'. You are not worried about a four or a sixer, one or two. You just hit the ball. And enjoy the sound. At the end of the day if you hit the ball or defend the ball, you love the sound that comes when the ball hits the bat."

Sehwag had me by then. As if enlightened, I added: "And that sound won't come when you are leaving the ball…" Like an arithmetic teacher who had just shown me how to add two and two, he smiled benevolently and said: "Exactly."

How simple life would have been if the man who brought us batting nirvana didn't frustrate us so. If he hadn't picked the IPL over Tests in the West Indies and England. This was Dylan gone electric. Perhaps Sehwag thought he could fit it all in. Perhaps he thought he could get the best of both worlds: take the IPL money, play Tests in England and give the West Indies a miss. Perhaps he did become a product of his time after all. He is no god, he is human like all of us. If he did pick money over Tests, perhaps he should be allowed to make all the money he wants. "Don't worry this is Test or one-day or T20," he said, remember?

When it comes to judging greatness, though, history won't be as kind. It will tell you Sehwag had one good tour each of Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand, and followed up with a bad one to each of those countries. He is a man who made a mockery of statistics but will not be allowed to hide behind them, behind that average of 51 after 99 Tests.

We will rate him by his impact, by his innovation, by his entertainment. Sehwag has brought us all of that, except only in certain conditions over the last third of his career. On the eve of his 100th Test appearance, do we let that last third outside Asia cloud our view of Sehwag? Or do we look beyond the immediate and revel in all the joy he has brought us over the rest of his career? Or do we see his hundred in his 99th Test as yet more proof of his positive attitude, that he can come back from all that and start stealing results from the jaws of draws as if nothing was amiss?

We know what Sehwag would do. Take a deep breath, sing a tune to himself, try to clear his mind of all thoughts, and just see the next ball and hit it. And enjoy the sound.

[CEDYBLUE]

Another Wonderful Article on Sehwagisms!!!

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/current/story/592425.html

'Is he bowling or begging?'
Some of the most fun things in cricket are either said by Sehwag or about him. Here's a collection


By Sehwag
"Yeh bowling kar raha hai ya bheekh maang raha hai? [Is he bowling or begging?]"
To Pakistan close-in fielders after Shoaib Akhtar's continuous sledging, asking Sehwag to hook. Even Shoaib's team-mates couldn't keep from laughing. Multan, 2003-04

"I was batting on 291 at Chepauk, against South Africa. I told Paul Harris: 'Come round the wicket and first ball I'll hit you for a six.' He accepted my challenge and the very first ball I hit him for a straight six, and there was a long-off, long-on, deep midwicket and a deep point. I was so tired and he was bowling on the pads and I was getting bored. So rather than spending 10-15 minutes to get to the triple-century I gave him good advice."
On Paul Harris. Chennai, 2008

"They are bowling into my body, and I'm playing my hook and flick shots to get boundaries. There is no other [effective] way they can bowl to me."
On New Zealand bowlers, whom he admitted to feeling sorry for. Hamilton, 2008-09

"Boycott can say what he wants. He once batted the whole day and hit just one four." On Geoff Boycott, who had referred to him as "talented but brainless"

"No, I don't know anything about them. I haven't even heard about them."
On Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy after narrowly missing their world record for the highest opening partnership in Tests. Lahore, 2005-06

"Our bank balance."
When asked for 343867th time what was the difference between him and Sachin Tendulkar

"It's soft, but that's the way we are."
On his decision to withdraw the appeal for mankading against Lahiru Thirimanne. Brisbane, 2011-12

"Ball ka ghar hai boundary, wahan usay pahunchao [The ball lives beyond that boundary, keep sending it there]" In an advert series titled "Sehwag Ke Thande Funde" [Sehwag's cool fundas]

"In the dressing room they told me I was hitting the good balls too, but if you look at it my way, I hit only the bad ones." On his 284 not out in less than a day. Brabourne Stadium, 2009-10

"No, there is no danger. We are the most dangerous batsmen in the world."
To security people in Durban who insisted he and Gautam Gambhir not walk out on their own late in the evening

"Obviously when you are on 94, you can get there with just a six."
To Paddy Upton and Eric Simons on what advice he gave VVS Laxman when he was on 94. Sehwag was running for the injured Laxman. P Sara Oval, 2010

"We have to work hard to take 20 English wickets. They are not Bangladesh."
On England; his appraisal of Bangladesh hadn't changed. Ahmedabad, 2012-13

On Sehwag
"The best way to know how Virender Sehwag's mind works is to sit next to him in the players' balcony when India are batting. Every few minutes he will clutch his head and yell, "Chauka gaya" or "Chhakka gaya". That's his way of expressing disappointment at somebody's failure to take advantage of a ball that he thought deserved to be hit for four or six. That's how he thinks, in fours and sixes."
Sourav Ganguly, in a Wisden Asia Cricket piece

"Jeremy Snape told me a great story about him while we were working together in the Indian Premier League. Sehwag and Snape were batting for Leicestershire against Middlesex when Abdul Razzaq started reverse-swinging the ball in the way that the Pakistan bowlers do. Sehwag came up to Snape and said: 'We must lose this ball. I have a plan.' Next over, he whacked that ball clean out of the ground, forcing the umpires to pick another from the box that would obviously not reverse straight away. To which Sehwag said: 'We are all right for one hour.' Smart, I say."
Shane Warne, in his list of his top 100 cricketers

"Just had a bowlers' meeting. The area of the pitch we're supposed to land it on against Sehwag is about two millimetres by two millimetres."
Stuart Clark about his preparation before the Super Test

"Well, we talked about not playing rash strokes. Of course, he hears me but I'm not sure if he ever listens." Sachin Tendulkar on the advice he gave when Sehwag was on 295 in Multan

"It's very frustrating, especially after you have batted the way I did, making it look hard for five hours, and then he comes out and smacks it everywhere."
Australia wicketkeeper Tim Paine ponders if his struggle to score 92 off 196 was worth it after watching Sehwag loot 59 off 54 on the same pitch. Mohali, 2010-11

"Sehwag can change the course of a match with the ease of Moses parting the Red Sea."
Ian Chappell says Sehwag can put the fear of god in bowlers

"I would think 'Abhi out hua, abhi out hua [He looks like he is going to get out soon]', and suddenly he would be 100 in 100 balls."
Harbhajan Singh on bowling to Sehwag in junior cricket

[CEDYBLUE]

John Wright on Sehwag!

The limited-overs batsman who revolutionised Test cricket
Sehwag's ability to use skills seemingly made for ODIs in the long game, and his instinct and fearlessness make him one of cricket's most compelling sights

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/592358.html

Less than a year ago, I woke up on the morning of the second Test between Australia and New Zealand in Hobart with the news that Viru had become only the second man to a double-hundred in ODIs.

My first thought was, "About time."

To me, Virender Sehwag has been the most exciting player I've watched, bar none. Yes, I know I belong to the generation that played against Viv, but having seen more of Viru than Viv, that's where I come from.

With Viru, you never know what's going to happen. Sometimes his batting doesn't work, sometimes it can be frustrating. When it works, though, he shakes up a game and turns it on its head. In Hobart that day, I thought that had Viru batted in ODI cricket the way he did in Tests, he could have got five double-hundreds. Or more.

But it is in Test cricket that Viru has shown us his genius. He has revolutionised Test batting, changed the way people look at openers, and made such an impact on the game that the rafters shake when he gets going.

Viru's 99 Tests, like his batting, seem to have gone by at top speed. A hundred Tests is a telling number, but then so are two triple-centuries, a strike rate of above 80 in Tests, 8400 Test runs, and the aforementioned double-hundred (off 149 balls).

It is always hard to judge a player in his first Test, but by the time Viru had played about a dozen, I did think that he had it in him to become something. For his first 30-odd Tests, I worked with Viru as his coach and it was a sheer delight to see him grow.

He came into the team in the guise of this middle-order batsman who had grown up on Indian wickets who could smash it everywhere. In about two years and a bit, he became a world-class Test opener with powers feared by all opposition. Over the rest of his career, he has become one of the greatest openers in the history of the game. People don't normally ever do that - go from being a middle-order batsman in India to opening in Test match cricket and producing outstanding performances all over the world.

What Viru was able to do was play tricks on cricket's very framework. If middle-order batsmen are asked to open the innings, they go into existential dilemmas, modify their game, work on technique. Many fail, a few cope. You will have heard all those stories.

Viru was different; he had no such crisis. He opened in Tests the way he had batted in the middle order - still smashing it. He didn't redefine his game because of his batting position. He redefined the position with his batting. I do not use the word genius casually.

I first met Viru in 2000, when he joined the squad to play the one-dayers against Zimbabwe, my first full series as coach of India. He looked a lovely kid - shy, with a mischievous smile, still innocent and wide-eyed, like many of the young Indians coming into the side.

Three months later, he made me sit up when he scored 58 against Australia in the Bangalore ODI. It was an innings of timing and confidence against bowlers like McGrath and Warne. We moved him into the opening slot in ODIs in a tri-series in Sri Lanka for two reasons: we had opening problems, and Viru kept getting out trying to slog the spinners in the middle overs. He nailed opening the batting beautifully - with it, he solved our problems and found he could play his game at its fullest. It should have been a different matter in Tests.

In Test matches he had a reasonable start as a No. 6, with a century on debut in South Africa and two fifties. We were struggling with Test openers and Sourav and I decided to gamble by sticking him in at the top of the order at Lord's, in only his sixth Test.

When we talked to him about the job, he didn't look like he was too worried about opening. He certainly didn't express it to me (and we had begun to speak very freely to each other by then). In his first innings as a Test opener, Viru was the team's top scorer, with 84. Then, when I saw him on a green wicket in Trent Bridge, in the second Test, I thought, "This guy is serious." He got a century and didn't look back.

Viru's coach in Delhi taught him to have a beautiful, straight backlift, so when he defends he is nicely straight and late. His attacking game wasn't too bad either. He could play so late and generate such bat speed that if you were a few inches off target on the off side, the ball was gone. Anything a bit straight was whipped through midwicket. He could also use the pace of the ball to score more effectively than most in the area between point and third man.

Early on, we widened his stance a little, and I used to encourage him to keep his head very still and not let it move sideways. When his head is perfectly still, like with any batsman, it allows him to play his late options and makes the most of his sublime balance. He is a great opener, though, because, along with everything else, he is fearless.



One of the things that I think helped him find his feet in cricket and stay grounded was that he accepted his fate. If he nicked something, he accepted it and wouldn't worry about it

Maybe he enjoys opening because he goes out to a clean slate. There are no wickets down, there's no responsibility like there would be coming in at six with four down. He goes in without any numbers and can do what he has said he does: see the ball, hit the ball. In a game filled with jargon and technique and dissection, it is like Viru knows why the great baseball catcher and manager Yogi Berra made total sense when he said: "How can you think and hit at the same time?"

Viru's instinct sweeps him away, and it is what makes him an attacking batsman. At a basic level, he must sense that instinct is swifter and more accurate than thought. Thought gets in the way. When batsmen are playing well, everyone goes by instinct, but Viru had that coupled with intrinsic fearlessness. It doesn't matter what the game situation is, who is bowling, what the wicket is doing. He sees the ball and he hits it - for four if he can.

As captain, batting partner or coach, it is best not to get in his way or try to complicate him. It would ruin Virender Sehwag. He is a natural in more ways than one.

He is one of the best balanced players I've seen. Plus, he catches like he is picking apples, and in those endless beep (fitness) tests we put the team through, he would turn on a dime. He was effortless at changing direction and caught everyone on the turn.

One of the other things that I think helped him find his feet in cricket and stay grounded was that he accepted his fate. If he nicked something, he accepted it and wouldn't worry about it. It was not that he didn't experience disappointment or didn't care, but he wasn't someone who beat himself up too much. What was over was over and he would start his next innings.

I don't know if that is what you call fatalism. Once, we flew into Melbourne in a storm and the plane was getting tossed around a little. He took one look at my face - I'm not the best of fliers - and started laughing. "What're you laughing at?" I asked him, and he said, "Relax, John, if the plane goes down, it goes down. There's nothing we can do about it." It didn't make me a better flier but it told me a little more about Viru.

The only thing that frustrated me, and that had me get stuck into him, was that for the team's sake, there were times when he needed to rein it in a little. But I knew that too much of that could ruin him. People talk about our little incident at The Oval, when I upbraided him. I made an example of Viru because I wanted the rest of the boys to understand that you have to adapt your play to the team's need to win the match.

We sorted that out later, and to his credit, he got over it and we remained mates. After we won the series in Pakistan in 2004, he insisted that I be part of the awards ceremony. I tended to avoid them because the limelight and celebration, I thought, belonged to the players. Viru had noticed this. After the victory he put his arm around my shoulder. "This time, John," he said, "you're coming with me", and dragged me down the stairs of the Rawalpindi dressing room to be with the team.

Viru is the only player I've watched who has pulled off a game suited for ODIs in Test cricket. If he had played ODIs like he played Test matches, he would have had much more success. In ODI cricket, I think he tries to up the tempo when he doesn't need to; he has already pushed the envelope as far as it can go.

Today he is 34, a senior player, a father, and not the cheeky kid I first met, though his smile still seems to contain its old mischief. I would love to believe that he has a lot of good cricket left in him, but all batsmen know that when they get to around 35, they have to work doubly hard on their fitness. It's not going to get easier but he can keep going for as long as he loves the game and trusts his instincts.

On his 100th Test, I would like to say to him: very well played Viru and thanks for the entertainment. Remember, though, that what we talked about still stands - that it's not enough to have big scores; the great ones are those who get the big scores consistently.

[CEDYBLUE]

Another one from Ed Smith!

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/592138.html

The pragmatic art of Virender Sehwag
He has reached an understanding with his own flaws, refused to compromise his strengths, and stayed true to himself

The conventional definition of mental strength is much too narrow. Mental strength is not only about guts and determination, sacrifice and suffering. It is also about holding your nerve, about protecting your self-belief under criticism. It is about saying: "I know what works for me. Sometimes my style of play will look terrible. But over time, I will deliver. And I won't become like everyone else just to avoid criticism." That takes real guts, too. In fact, the justified refusal to compromise your strengths is the ultimate form of mental strength.

By that measure, Virender Sehwag has exceptional mental strength. As he approaches his 100th Test match, we will hear a lot about Sehwag's remarkable hand-eye coordination, his natural ball-striking, his gift of timing and power. But those strengths needed to be nurtured, to be protected from the many voices that demanded that Sehwag curb his natural instincts and play a different way. Sehwag mastered one of the hardest tricks in sport: he reached an accommodation with his own flaws. He recognised that he could not iron out his weaknesses without losing his voice. In simple terms, he stayed true to himself. The whole game is much richer because he did just that.

I first watched Sehwag when Kent played India in 2002. Even then, there was a lot of talk about what he couldn't do - that he couldn't resist going for his shots, that he got out too easily, that he didn't adapt. I noticed something different. It wasn't the way he hit the bad balls for four. It was the way he dispatched the good ones. The bowlers ran up and bowled on a length; Sehwag then drove those length balls for four, all along the ground, with very little apparent risk. Not many players can do that. It was a pattern that would be repeated for 100 Tests.

If Sehwag's mental resilience is underestimated, so is his technique - at least certain strands of his technique. What struck me that day in 2002 was the purity of his bat swing, how squarely the bat face met the ball on impact. And how often he middled the ball.

Isn't that, surely, a central component of a "good technique"? Yes, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar developed more sophisticated techniques that could adapt to difficult pitches. And adaptability, of course, is the ultimate gauge of the ideal all-round technique. But in terms of a technique that makes the best possible contact with a ball flying in a straight line at 85mph, I do not think I've seen a better one than Sehwag's. God-given talent alone - a good eye and fast hands - will not allow you to hit that many balls for four.

Cricket has long misunderstood technique. For too long, the word has been wrongly linked to obduracy and self-denial. Technique is simply a set of skills that allows you to respond to the challenges of your sport. It is as much about attacking options as watertight defence. It is Lionel Messi's exceptional technique, his control of the ball, that allows him to play with such flair for Barcelona. It is Roger Federer's basic technique that allows him to play such a dazzling array of shots from any part of the tennis court.

So it is with Sehwag. It is his technical mastery of attacking shots that puts extraordinary pressure on the bowler. I remember hearing from Stuart Clark when Australia were about to play the Rest of the World XI in 2005. "Just had a bowlers' meeting," Clark explained, "the area of the pitch we're supposed to land it on against Sehwag is about two millimetres by two millimetres!" A fraction full: expect to be driven for four. A fraction short: expect to be punched off the back foot for four.

Sehwag takes boundary hitting very seriously. It is a skill borne of deep attention to detail: you don't become so good at something without loving it. Many great batsmen sit in the dressing room talking about how the players in the middle are missing out on singles. Sehwag, apparently, pipes up when someone misses an attacking opportunity. "He missed a four!" he will say regretfully.



In terms of a technique that makes the best possible contact with a ball flying in a straight line at 85mph, I do not think I've seen a better one than Sehwag's. God-given talent alone will not allow you to hit that many balls for four

He also knows which bowlers to target. Aakash Chopra recalls how ruthlessly Sehwag seized on the most vulnerable bowler. He knew exactly which bowlers he could destroy. That takes intelligence as well as self-awareness. And it is a huge benefit to the team. A batsman who can "knock out" one of the opposition's bowlers changes the whole balance of the match. If one bowler effectively cannot bowl when Sehwag is at the wicket, then the others tire much more quickly.

Like all great players, Sehwag developed a game that suited him. Dravid once told me that Brian Lara and Tendulkar were so talented that they could regularly score Test hundreds in three or four hours. But Dravid felt he had to be prepared to bat for more like five or six hours for his hundreds. Quite simply, in order to score as heavily as Lara and Tendulkar, Dravid thought he had to bat for more balls. Every batsman has to face up to a version of that calculation: what is my natural tempo, what is the appropriate amount of risk for my game?

But there are two sides to that equation. First, there is time. Secondly, there is run rate. Dravid calculated that he possessed the defensive technique and psychological skills to spend more time in the middle than most great players. So he would compromise on run rate and extend his occupation of the crease.

Sehwag asked the same question but reached the opposite conclusion. Instead of facing more balls, how about scoring more runs off the balls that he did face? Sehwag's judgement of his own game, just like Dravid's, has been fully vindicated by his record. Here is the crucial point. Sehwag's approach is not "reckless" or "naïve". It is deeply pragmatic.

Steve Waugh said that Sehwag is the ultimate "KISS" player: Keep It Simple, Stupid. But that is easier said than done. After a series of nicks to the slips, it would have been tempting for Sehwag completely to remodel his technique. But he had the courage to stick to his method and the conviction that when he got back on a pitch that suited him, he would make it pay. After a sparkling hundred in his 99th Test, Sehwag now reaches another century. He is looking to be proved right yet again.

[CEDYBLUE]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/current/story/592283.html

A match-winner in the subcontinent

Although Virender Sehwag's overall batting stats are extremely impressive, the downside is that a vast majority of his runs came on batting-friendly tracks in the subcontinent

[Arvind Srinivasan]

:clap: :clap: to Sehwag...

[selvakumar]

Viru dropped for the England series. Looks like it is almost over for Viru from BCCI suckers point of view. Feeling sad to see both of my favorites Sachin and Sehwag out of ODIs. Must focus on watching something else like football instead from now onwards.