Virender Sehwag, the swashbuckling Indian opener, is a legend in the cricketing world. Known for his fearless batting style, Sehwag has amassed over 8,000 runs in both Test and ODI cricket. His aggressive approach has left an indelible mark on the game, with even the greatest bowlers fearing his wrath.
Sehwag’s aura was such that he could sing Hindi songs while smashing bowlers for boundaries. The likes of Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee, and Dale Steyn, all ace pacers, were not spared. Even the slightest loose ball from these bowling giants was dispatched to the boundary with disdain.
Sehwag’s journey to becoming an opener was not a straightforward one. Initially, he started as a middle-order batsman, but his explosive batting earned him the role of opener. He went on to open India’s batting in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 alongside the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, setting the tone of the tournament with a brilliant 175 in his first innings.
Sehwag shares the record for the most triple centuries in Test cricket. During a Test match against Sri Lanka in Mumbai, he had the chance to make history as the first batsman to score three triple centuries. On the first day of the match, Sehwag scored 284 runs, making it the third-highest score by a batsman in a single day of a Test match.
Facing tough bowlers like Muttiah Muralitharan, Sehwag remained in control. Towards the end of the day, with only 3-4 overs left, his batting partner Rahul Dravid advised him to play out the day. Dravid suggested that Sehwag imagine batting through the remaining overs without losing his wicket and then coming back the next day to possibly make 300, 400, or even 500 runs.
Sehwag recalled in an interview that Dravid carefully played out the overs, taking a single only when the over was about to end so that Sehwag would face fewer balls. When the day ended, and both batters remained not out as they returned to the dressing room, Dravid told him, ‘Well done, bohot badhiya. Ab kal dekh tu wapas aaega toh pura din batting karega toh tu world record bana sakta hai.’
Sehwag admitted that Dravid’s words filled him with optimism. He went to his room, had dinner, and slept soundly. However, the next day, he managed to add only 9 more runs before being dismissed for 293. Sehwag later admitted that as he walked back to the dressing room, he regretted listening to Rahul Dravid.
Sehwag had scored 293 runs off 254 balls, with 40 fours and 7 sixes. In the end, the world’s leading wicket-taker, Muralitharan, dismissed Sehwag with a caught-and-bowled effort. MS Dhoni went on to score a century in that match, and India posted a massive total of 726 for 9 before declaring. India went on to win the match by an innings and 24 runs.
