No country for old men - Sehwag, Gambhir, Yuvraj and Zaheer face the comeback challenge

To those who woke up to a lazy Sunday afternoon yesterday, it came as quite a shock that a certain Yuvraj Singh was playing a whirlwind innings, albeit for an Indian A side.

How good was the innings?

If you compare Yusuf Pathan’s 70 off 32 to Yuvraj’s 123 off 89, it’s not easy to pick the latter, but that’s when you have to look beyond the numbers. The punch/jab/poke that Yuvi played against the near perfect yorker by Ronsford Beaton, that saw the ball clearing the sight screen quite comfortably, could only be seen to be fully appreciated.

He was in the groove during the latter part of the innings, and that hour or so was a throwback to the typical Yuvraj of old, playing free flowing cricket and caressing the ball oh(!) so cleanly.

It’s a joy to watch such an innings, and though it came against a second-rate West Indian A side, it would have motivated the rest of the old guard waiting for a chance to make a comeback.

In the coming weeks, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir and even Mohammad Kaif will get a chance to put their case forward to the Indian selectors.

Virender Sehwag has enjoyed a quiet break

Among the major four, Virender Sehwag has had the quietest break from international cricket. Gautam Gambhir signed for English county side Essex, while Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan went to a small French town of Brive-la-Gaillarde to train, away from the blazing media glare they are so accustomed to.

Sehwag, meanwhile, checked in at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai to work on his basics under the watch of Glenn McGrath.

After mediocre performances last year, these seniors have been away from the headlines, while the younger generation players have enjoyed their moment under the sun over the past 7-8 months.

But as the domestic season in India commences this September end, these seasoned cricketers will be in focus once again, and we’re not giving up on them just yet.