On the occasion of Virender Sehwag’s 100th Test, Sachin Tendulkar told The Hindu: “I remember the first time I batted with him against South Africa at Bloemfontein. As soon as he walked to the wicket I asked him how he was feeling and he said ‘a little nervous’. I told him it was quite normal and happened to me too. I told him to relax and after sometime he would enjoy the moment. Then, once he got going I began to enjoy his batting. What I have really liked about his batting is his approach to the game and his bat swing.”
What did Tendulkar like the most? “I have always felt he approached the game differently and backed his instincts. He may not be necessarily technically right, but he has better footwork than what people think. I would say he has beautiful control of his hands on the bat swing and that’s what makes him so special. His approach worked well for the team; India had a talented batsman who could go after the bowlers at the start; it was not planned, Sehwag was a natural. If he got going immediately in the first session the opponent was straightaway on the backfoot.”
Talking about similarities between the two, Tendulkar said he had been told by several people that they are similar in their batting styles. “We play the game basically in a positive frame of mind.”
Meanwhile a report in The DNA says that eleven years ago, a 23-year-old found himself on a murky evening in Bloemfontein. “It was supposedly his debut Test. India’s scorecard, a familiar 68 for four, should have made any youngster quail. South African quicks Shaun Pollock, Nantie Hayward, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini and Lance Klusener were breathing menace. Now, it was getting darker and the floodlights had to be put on. But our protagonist, according to a colleague, moved with an unshakeable air of self-belief,” says the report, adding that he was batting at No 6; and after a heroic stand with Sachin Tendulkar, he started counselling a young wicketkeeper who, too, was serving his apprenticeship in Tests. This is how Virender Sehwag initiated himself to Test cricket.
Wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta remembers how the ball was swerving around, leading to a play-and-miss sequence. “Sab ka hota hain. Unka bhi ho raha tha (These misses happen with everybody, even they struggled),” Sehwag assured him.
Soon, Dasgupta ducked a bumper awkwardly. The ball kissed the edge, flew over slip, and rippled over to the fence. Sehwag again walked towards him and said, “You got a four, didn’t you? So does it matter how you played it? It’s the result that counts.” Dasgupta recalls, “That attitude was so refreshing. Here was a man in his debut Test and yet having fun. From his first game, he was sure what he was doing. He didn’t ever give the impression that he was playing his first Test. You knew instantly that this guy was good, someone special.”
And so it’s been 11 years during which he’s been hailed as India’s greatest impact player, scored two triple tons, endured vagaries of form and still can’t discriminate between a 99 and a 100. This man is now slated to play his 100th Test at the Wankhede this week.
According to a report in Hindustan Times, Test cricket may be struggling for survival as the empty seats in Ahmedabad would testify but the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) looks confident of a good turnout for the second Test between India and England starting at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
“Sachin Tendulkar probably playing his last Test match at his home ground and Virender Sehwag playing in his 100th Test matches are two major reasons but there is another feature that should attract a bigger crowd. The MCA has outsourced ticket sales in a bid to make buying tickets easier and also enable buyers to collect tickets at their doorsteps by paying a minimal charge.”