Ordered down, Sehwag comes up all guns blazing |
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Thursday January 4, 01:24 AM
THE LAST time Virender Sehwag took guard closer to the bottom of the order than the top, he batted like a man forced to swim in someone else's wet bathing trunks. That was in the second innings of the third Test against England in Mumbai in March, when Viru waded in at number seven. His 20-ball endeavour was no day at the beach: V Sehwag lbw b Anderson 0.
India crashed to 100 all out, and with that defeat by 212 runs. The circumstances, however, were exceptional. Injuries robbed India of six first-choice players. At Newlands, the circumstances were again exceptional. This time because India were one win away from their first series victory in South Africa. That fact alone deserves careful thought, and many who have applied their minds to the possibility of an Indian triumph in South Africa will have reached the conclusion that Sehwag is unlikely to aid the team's cause. His contribution of 45 runs in four innings of the first two Tests is proof enough of that, but if more were required we need only remember his ragged strokes and unsure footwork.
But Sehwag was not discarded completely - only, he was forced to play down the order, at number seven. That decision was made on Monday afternoon. It is difficult to believe that Sehwag was not the topic of discussion in a heated conversation involving Rahul Dravid, Greg Chappell and Dilip Vengsarkar. One of them might have said Sehwag should be dropped. Perhaps the other two favoured giving him a last chance, not the least because the South Africans still prize Sehwag's wicket highly.
Sehwag was granted that chance - just as he was given an opportunity to make his debut against South Africa in Bloemfontein in November 2001. Even then he wielded his bat like a cutlass, and a certain swagger dictated his footwork. He took the fight to the South Africa, hitting 19 boundaries in his 105.
Here, coming in at No. 7, Sehwag batted as only he could have --- blasting 40 off 50 balls with six fours and a big six. Sehwag, going down the order, just might have resuscitated his career.
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