'There is no comparison for Virender Sehwag's impact in any format at the top of the order' - Gautam Gambhir
Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir has opined that there can be no comparison for Virender Sehwag's impact at the top of the order in any format of the game. He also mentioned that no one can copy Virender Sehwag's mindset as a batsman.
Gautam Gambhir and Irfan Pathan shared their views on the impact Virender Sehwag had on Indian cricket in the latest edition of the Star Sports' show Cricket Connected.
On being asked how it was decided who would be taking the strike, Gambhir responded that he had to face the first ball as Virender Sehwag would claim that he was not a genuine opener.
"Virender Sehwag used to say that he is not an opening batsman, so whoever is the opener should be taking strike. He didn't consider himself as an opening batsman although he got two triple hundreds, I don't know how many hundreds he got. Probably the most successful India has had after Sunil Gavaskar but he never considered himself as an opener. So, I had to face the fire."
The left-handed opener revealed that his conversations with Virender Sehwag in the middle would revolve around everything other than cricket.
"We used to discuss about everything apart from the bowlers, whether it was what to have for lunch or dinner or where to go and what to see in foreign countries."
Gautam Gambhir and Irfan Pathan on Virender Sehwag's mindset
Gautam Gambhir replied in the negative when asked if Virender Sehwag's mindset could be copied.
"No, never. Lot of people might score runs but the impact is very important. The way he used to setup the Test matches."
He cited the example of the Chennai Test match against England where India had chased down a mammoth target of 387 runs in the fourth innings.
Gambhir reminded everyone that Virender Sehwag was given the Man of the Match for the rollicking start he had given with his 83 runs off just 68 deliveries, even though Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh had sealed the victory with an unbeaten century and 85 runs respectively.
"You will still remember a knock against England in Chennai where we won chasing. Man of the Match was given to Virender Sehwag because of the impact he had, even though others might have scored more runs."
Gautam Gambhir signed off by stating that there could be no comparison for Virender Sehwag at the top of the order in all formats of the game, from an impact perspective.
"From the point of view of impact, I don't think there is any comparison for him in any format at the top of the order."
Irfan Pathan concurred with Gambhir that Virender Sehwag's attacking mindset was difficult to be copied.
"It's very difficult to copy his mindset. When he gets out and is back in the dressing room and there is a phase in Test cricket where it is getting boring and someone is defending, he will keep saying that they should hit. Virender Sehwag knew his personality really well and he excelled in that and got better as a cricketer."
Pathan replied that Virender Sehwag was the person who would give suggestions to everyone but not take the same from anyone, when asked what advice he got from the Nawab of Najafgarh while walking out to open with him at Adelaide.
"I think if anyone would have given advice, that's Virender Sehwag. He would not have taken any advice from anyone."
The left-arm swing bowler recalled that he had never seen anyone bat the way the swashbuckling opener smashed the Aussie attack in the Melbourne Test of 2003.
"When I came into the Indian team in 2003-04, I saw this guy as an opener who is playing in the 190s and who just got out trying to hit a six in the Melbourne Test match. When I saw the whole inning, that guy was just smacking. I had never seen that kind of Test cricket. I never saw anyone play like that in Ranji Trophy cricket as an opener."
Virender Sehwag played 104 Test matches for India, scoring 8586 runs at an average of 49.34 and an amazing strike rate of 82.23. The marauding opener also smashed 8273 runs in 251 ODIs, at an average of 35.05 along with an outstanding strike rate of 104.33.