Overstay is Welcome

Although his batting in the 50-over game has clicked from time-to-time,it hasn’t with the consistency that India would want from him in the upcoming World Cup. It’s hard not to compare the differences between the Sehwag of Test cricket and his shadow in the limited formats. While the white flanelled version has witnessed the Delhi batsman carrying his bat for days at stretch (two triple centuries prove it),it isn’t quite the same in the limited-over format. In the 189 innings that he has played as an opener,only 35 times did he last more than the first 15 overs.

The dichotomy even Sehwag finds hard to explain. “Yes,I have played Test cricket where I have gone on and batted for a day and a half. If you look back in the last one year,that’s exactly what I have tried to achieve in the one-day game. I have scored big hundreds and I have indeed gone on to play as much as 30 overs in an innings. So it is something I have realised,and something that is showing in my batting but I am not going to get into a match there looking to play long or survive. I have matured now to pick the balls on which I want to play my shots,and also know what shots to play on them,” says Sehwag.

Take for example his 112 against New Zealand in 2003. Sehwag stayed at the crease until the 42nd over,and India pulled off a one-wicket win with one ball to spare. Contrast it with the match against Bangladesh in the 2007 World Cup: Sehwag was dismissed in the third over for just two runs and India lost to the minnows and were relegated from the tournament in the first round.

“I know I can play Test cricket in the one-day format and still belong in the game,” he adds. And that will be the key to Sehwag’s success in the upcoming World Cup. While openers were once told to see off the shine,it’s stupid to question Sehwag’s natural instincts,let alone curbing them for the quadrennial event. For Sehwag,it’s never about the shots that have to be played — they keep coming against pace and spin,on slow or bouncy pitches. It’s always about the duration of the entertainment.

“I have always played cricket simple and just want to go out there and enjoy myself. And I know that if I enjoy out there,everybody in the stadium will,” he says,in a matter-of-fact tone.

Sustaining the starts
But he too agrees that the real challenge lies in sustaining those fiery starts and staying at the crease until the semi-new ball,or more optimistically until the change of ball. If he does manage to do that,both India and Sehwag stand to gain immensely.

While everyone — from his team mates to the average fan — wants Sehwag to go after the bowlers,they also wish that he could last just that extra bit longer. But Sehwag will do what Sehwag always does.

“At this stage of my career,I don’t want to plan any new thing or adopt something that I am not comfortable with. I don’t want to clutter my mind with unnecessary things,” he says.

Although he was first spotted for his ability to bowl big off-spinners — along with hitting the cover off the ball,of course — Sehwag’s right shoulder hasn’t rotated for almost a year now while on India duty. The team may have found ways around not bowling him in the innings,the country still needs that shoulder to be alright for his batting.

At 32 years of age,time has caught up with the batsman. It may not show in his batting — he remains as nimble-footed as ever — but it does in his injuries. Because this could be Sehwag’s last World Cup,the will to win the trophy is at an all-time high. Apart from pasting a century against a hapless Bermuda in the Caribbean in 2007,and an 82 in the forgettable 2003 final against Australia,Sehwag hasn’t done much in the two previous editions.

“There’s just one goal on my mind,that India wins this World Cup. I don’t want to distract myself by keeping any other small target. And I will do whatever I can to get to my goal,” Sehwag says.

The response is brief,but a nation hopes that he is a little more liberal with the time spent at the crease.

Achilles Heel
Getting Carried away
Virender Sehwag has no weaknesses. But if you really try and scrutinise his ODI performances with a microscope,a minor chink does seem to appear — that of getting carried away. Very often,Sehwag is dismissed after setting the stage on fire,and the false shot ends up costing India the match. Coach AN Sharma agrees. “We all know that he only plays the way he wants to,but I always tell him “thoda control kar bhai.” He has this weakness of getting carried away with the flow. If he starts hitting boundaries,he would like to hit the next one,then another,and one more… eventually,if you look closely at his dismissals,majority is while playing another big shot,” says Sharma. “We have often had a discussion on this aspect,and I keep telling him that if you have got 10-12 runs from one over,control and postpone your aggression and wait for the next over. But let me clarify here that I am not asking him to change his natural game.” Both points taken.

Startling stats
In his entire careeras an opening batsman,Sehwag has seen the 40th over of the innings only twice — during his 112 against New Zealand,and 130 against New Zealand.

Out of 189 innings as an Opener,Sehwag has carried his bat past the 15th over on just 35 occasions. And 80 per cent of the times he has,India have found themselves on the winning side.

India havealmost never lost following a Sehwag century. While 12 times the country has won because of his triple digits,Sehwag’s 108 against NZ in Napier (2002) couldn’t save the day for India.

In the last two years,Sehwag has batted beyond the bowling powerplay — the first 15 overs — on five occasions,and India have succeeded in pulling off wins in as many matches.

Sehwag hasscored 50 or more runs on 45 different occasions,yet,on 10 of those days,Sehwag was dismissed before the 15th over.