David Warner brings back memories of Virender Sehwag

By Updated: Dec 16, 2014, 10:34 AM IST

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David Warner (left) and Virender Sehwag played together at Delhi Daredevils © AFP[/caption] Virender Sehwag’s unique approach as an opener in Test cricket has helped the game evolve. Suvajit Mustafi writes about Sehwag’s impact, legacy and his role in the success of David Warner. Once upon a time, across the world there batted a big man with an impeccable personality and gigantic self-confidence. Relaxed, continuing to chew the gum, he attacked at will and looked into the eye of most hostile bowler, never scared to give him a go. He instilled fear and dominated the game; the name of Viv Richards would draw thousands to the stands. A few years later, the world saw another genius, much smaller in frame but with a near-perfect technique, someone who surprised the world with his ability to dictate. He stood at the crease; his eyes were fierce in concentration; he seldom looked at bowlers’ eyes; or used his lips in retaliation. A small stroll towards the square-leg umpire, and Sachin Tendulkar was back at the crease, enthralling the world. Over years we saw modern batsmen who could dictate with grace. Brian Lara, the magician, who had the time to play multiple shots off every ball and possessed a balanced combo of grit and art. Matthew Hayden, the hulk of with the willow, who stood yards outside his crease to the fastest of bowlers, ready to give a go to the ball and the bowler. There were many others. There was also this man who dominated bowlers like no other. He did look into the bowlers’ eyes, but did so with a smile. A fierce appeal against him would be followed with a joke. The ubiquitous umpires’ buddy in the middle, he sang and hummed his way to double- and triple-tons, cared least about reputations, and did not believe in swearing or cursing. He knew to play for only one result: a win. It is safe to say Virender Sehwag redefined opening in Tests. Here is what the man, who got a reluctant Sehwag (then a middle-order batsman, to open in Test) had to say of him. “Sehwag is the best opening batsman I have seen after Sunil Gavaskar.” Sourav Ganguly’s words were as curt and direct. Gavaskar was a batsman with an impeccable technique, a fort-like defence; he was also armed with concentration which made him go on for hours. Sehwag, on the other hand, has often been criticised for his technique and casual attitude. What separates Sehwag from the others is his mind which helps him to he see things in an uncomplicated way. His decision to give up his jersey number had even angered the International Cricket Council (ICC), but again it was to keep things simple. The Sehwag dictionary reads a bit differently. Below are two examples:

Conventional dictionary	Sehwag’s dictionary
Attacking field	Licence to hit on the rise and score easy boundaries
New ball	Opportunity to score runs as the hard ball will reach the bat better.

As John Wright had once famously said, “He [Sehwag] didn't redefine his game because of his batting position. He redefined the position with his batting.” How did the simpleton from Najafgarh instil fear among the best of bowlers? Because his mind was clear. When one thinks it is a Shane Warne or a Waqar Younis bowling, the mind immediately presses the caution button. But for Sehwag, the reputation of the bowler mattered little; it was only the merit of the ball that mattered. At the beginning of his career many had termed him as a fluke. With 8,586 runs, 23 Test hundreds and an average of 49.34, Sehwag’s numbers are enough to reserve a seat for him in arena of the greats of the game. Add to it is his strike rate of 82, and the fact that he has achieved something that no Indian has done it even once: score triple tons. Sehwag has two triple tons and was seven short of another one. In short, he holds the record for the top three highest individual Test scores by an Indian. Sehwag’s legacy extends beyond the man. Be it any sport, it should change with times with a renewed approach. Sehwag did add a lot of the renewal touch and he does take a large share of credit for one major success that has followed. David Warner is not a calm character like Sehwag. He plays the sport the Australian way. In the recently concluded Adelaide Test, Warner got fined for getting into an ugly on-field altercation with Varun Aaron and Shikhar Dhawan. However, we are talking batting styles here. Warner made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut in January 2009; he blasted his way to 89 off 43 balls. He had never taken the First-Class format seriously; nor did the ones who saw him play. The thought of him wearing the Baggy Green would have put a frown on the faces of elites. He was perceived as another freelance Twenty20 cricketer, making stacks of dollars playing the shortest format all over the world. He, too, had perhaps agreed with the perception till Sehwag presented him with a bigger picture. Sehwag and Warner have spent a lot of time during the latter’s Delhi Daredevils stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Warner acknowledged in 2011: “He [Sehwag] said to me, ‘you'll be a better Test cricketer than you are a Twenty20 player. I looked at him and basically said, ‘mate, I’ve not even played a First-Class game yet.’ But he said, ‘all the fielders are around the bat; if the ball’s there in your zone, you’re still going to hit it. You’re going to have ample opportunities to score runs. You’ve always got to respect the good ball, but you’ve got to punish the ball you always punish’.” There was no looking back for Warner since his Test debut in 2011. From 33 Tests Warner has amassed 11 hundreds at an average of 50.05; his strike rate of just below 74 is also impressive. And his Test record is actually far superior to his limited-overs record. With batsmen like Sehwag and Warner, runs do come heavy and quick, giving ample time to the bowlers to take 20 wickets. Sehwag was undoubtedly the reason for India’s steep rise in Test cricket in the past decade, in the same way Warner’s form played a major role in Australia’s rebuilding under Michael Clarke, and being the number two Test side at the moment. It is still early days for Warner in Test cricket. Like with other genius minds, frustrating moments are likely to happen as well. The same strokes that fetch them galore of runs can also be the reason for their dismissals. It is important they have captains who understand them and keep things uncomplicated. With Sehwag, he had Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, and MS Dhoni; for Warner, Clarke’s support has been phenomenal. During the Adelaide Test, Sehwag did re-tweet about his prophecy on Warner after the left-hander became only the second Australian after Don Bradman to register two hundreds in a Test against India. Warner’s efforts did help Australia go one up in the series, and to lovers of uninhibited batsmanship, he filled for the absence of Sehwag. [caption id="attachment_224732" align="aligncenter" width="628"]

Virender Sehwag re-tweeted this after David Warner's second hundred at the Adelaide Oval[/caption] However, irrespective of the latter’s form in domestic cricket, there are many who still believe that the 36 year old still had more to offer at the international level. In 2013, after Sehwag was dropped. Kumble had written, “He [Sehwag] is the kind of individual who requires plenty of support rather than being put on notice, with a sword dangling over his head every time he goes to bat.” Perhaps Dhoni’s dangling sword didn’t help the cause. In the series prior to Sehwag’s axing he was the second highest run-getter for India after Cheteshwar Pujara, that too with a strike rate of 90.35. With an average of 36.14 he may not have been at his best in the series, but he was still better than most of the rest. India lost the series 1-2 but had won the first Test at Ahmedabad. Sehwag had scored a run-a-ball hundred. Maybe he could have been handled with more care. (Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer, strategist, entrepreneur, philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he find solace.)

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