Mellow down Viru!

There are a very few batsmen who can be impact players the moment they start batting. Their batting can make quite a turn around of the match, making the opponents wonder what happened! These players can shift the momentum to their side within a matter of minutes and on their day, they are the bowlers’ worst nightmare.

The Nawab of Najafgarh is one of those players who can have quite an impact on the game if he gets going. Virender Sehwag was born in Haryana to Krishnan and Krishna Sehwag. Viru, as some people affectionately call him, started playing cricket when he was only a toddler. Viru was a quick learner and he was a regular in the school team from an early age. His parents though weren’t quite encouraging till they saw that Viru wanted to take it up as a career. He practiced very hard and he made very good progress.

Sehwag was picked for the Delhi domestic side and he immediately scored some runs. He was the 5th highest run-getter in the league in his very first season, as a result of which he got selected in the U-19 team. His consistency in the domestic league earned him an India call up. But Sehwag was not very successful and he had to wait for more than a year for his next opportunity. He got a chance against the Aussies when in only his fourth ODI, he got a half century and picked up 3 crucial wickets to win the match for India and earn the man of the match award.

Sehwag played as a floater, as a player who could bowl and bat anywhere in the order. He was elevated to the opening slot whenever any of the openers were not able to play. Sehwag was aggressive right from the initial overs and he got some quick runs which impressed the then captain Sourav Ganguly. Sourav immediately changed the batting order and made Sehwag open the innings. This move was a career defining one for Sehwag. He started scoring runs all over the world, including a 69 ball century which was the third fastest for an Indian back then. He also made a breathtaking 22 ball 50 against Kenya, which was the second fastest 50 at that time.

Sehwag was then selected for the 2003 world cup. He made only 292 runs at an average of 27, which was very poor. However he made a quick fire 87 in the finals against the Aussies, a match in which India lost.

Sehwag quickly established himself in all the formats and he always played fearless cricket. He was always called as the “Viv Richards” because his style of play was almost identical to him. His test career was much better though getting runs whenever he got a chance. Sehwag has hit two triple centuries and was among the elite list of people who have hit two triples. He attacking style meant that if you don’t get Sehwag early, then he is bound to stay for a long time at the crease making huge scores in the process.

Sehwag suffered a loss of form in 2006 and was not picked for the tour to England. He was suffering from injuries but he was picked for the 2007 world cup where he was quite average.

Sehwag has many records to his name. The fastest triple century, the fastest 250, the fastest 200 all belongs to him. His high score in ODI’s is 219, which is a world record which came only in 149 balls. Sehwag has the fastest 100 in ODI’s for India, which came in 60 balls against New Zealand. Sehwag always loved to attack the bowlers and that has been his bane in the recent times. His penchant to score quick runs has caused him a lot of troubles. He has been dropped from the team many times due to lack of form and that is because of his aggressive nature.

Sehwag is almost 34 now and in the twilight of his career. His reflexes and his fitness aren’t going to be the same as what it was ten years before. For a player to mature, he has to understand his limitations and play accordingly. Agreed, Sehwag has got many runs batting the same way, but that aggressive instinct must be curbed if he has to go into the history books as one of the legends. He has made more than 8000 runs in both formats and has to only play through four years successfully to be termed as a great player. He should look up to his idol Sachin and learn from him. Sachin, who was also once an aggressive player who wielded a heavy bat, changed many things about his game to extend his career. A successful player is one who can understand his body conditions and play accordingly so that his longevity in the game increases.

He should know to curb his instincts and mellow down and play like how Sachin is playing these days, because I believe that form is temporary and class is permanent. So he needs to have that class where a team and it’s fans should feel reassured to see him walk out to bat. Else he’ll be a lost legend like Shahid Afridi, who is not able to curb his instincts even after 12 years of playing and has lost his golden touch. Sanath Jayasurya was dropped from the team because he refused to mellow down. That shouldn’t happen to Sehwag ,so he has to modify his game to suit his body needs and try to extend his career.

Sehwag is a terrific player and it will be a big loss to cricket if he decides to bow out without trying. So Sehwag has to improve his game and I strongly believe that he will, in the days to come, and its only a matter of time before he makes a memorable comeback.