How Virender Sehwag broke Sachin Tendulkar’s 200-run record in Indore
Former Manchester United striker and a famous football personality, Ruud van Nistelrooy, once compared goals with ketchup in a bottle. “Goals,” he said, “are like ketchup in a bottle: sometimes, as much as you try, they don’t come out, and then they come out all of a sudden, all at once.”
This anecdote can be matched with the 200-mark as it was something of a ketchup in a bottle. For decades, no batsmen could reach the fabled feat despite coming very close. From Kapil Dev 175* against Zimbabwe to Sanath Jayasuriya’s 189 against India, from Sir Viv Richard’s 189* against England to Saeed Anwar’s 194 against India, many players almost touched the landmark, but just couldn’t cross the line.
However, once the barrier of 200 runs was broken by Sachin Tendulkar, the ketchup in the bottle was released and four more players have reached the figure ever since. And Virender Sehwag was the second in line.
Like Sachin’s remarkable feat, Sehwag’s milestone was also achieved in Madhya Pradesh. At the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, the blazing batsman wreaked havoc against the West Indian bowlers to break Sachin’s record.
The fun part about Sehwag’s achievement was that many people touted him to be the first person to reach the 200 figure. His flamboyant batting style coupled with a fearless attitude towards the bowlers made him one of the best hitters of the cricket ball.
And it was these very qualities that allowed him to score 219 against the West Indies. In his legendary innings, he smashed 25 boundaries and 7 sixes—which is 142 out of 219 runs scored in boundaries—and shattered the Little Master’s record with little remorse.
The Delhi man smashed every West Indian bowler, especially Sunil Narine. The West Indian spinner was somewhat of a mystery bowler back in the day, someone who batsmen had a tough time to read, but Sehwag didn’t care: he just saw the ball and made it his duty to place it to the cleaners.
His innings didn’t come without lifelines, though, as he could have been out on 20 had Kieron Pollard not missed the stumps from a direct throw or had Darren Sammy not dropped a sitter when he was batting at 170.
And he made sure that the West Indians paid for their lacklustre fielding display. When he was dismissed by Kieron Pollard, almost all the West Indian players went to him and shook his hand out of respect. This innings from Sehwag not only won India the game but also the series.
Fun fact: as a captain, this was the first time that Sehwag scored a century—and what a way to carry that to an astonishing 219!
Sehwag might have retired from the game but his legacy as a destructive force of nature stays protected—especially in the form of this innings. Throughout his career, he was tipped to score a double hundred in ODIs and, in the end, he was able to do it.
And it was in the land of Madhya Pradesh where history was made. Twice.