Virender Sehwag and the art of keeping it simple
It’s the first over of the match. A batsman is coming out to bat. He is swinging his arms in a 360 degrees swing. The batsman takes the strike in his nonchalant manner. But the bowler is worried about being hit for a boundary on first ball because the batsman is Virender Sehwag.
That’s the fear of the man. The era of Sehwag is over. He gave us thrills and heartbreak, joy and frustration, instant happiness and grief; all through his playing career. He batted like a thriller movie, keeping the audience gasping for some more, making them sit on the edge of the seat wondering in disbelief as to what will happen next and keeping them entertained at all times.
There are some things you wouldn’t want to explain. You just feel it. You enjoy that moment. Tendulkar’s straight drive. Laxman’s wristy flick. Dravid’s forward defense. All these are moments to treasure, to revel but not to explain to anyone.
Sehwag’s approach to batting was like that. He was above explanation. He would surprise you at every moment but had an uncluttered mind. And that was the magic of Sehwag. He kept it uncomplicated. Purists and those whistling at road side stalls, all enjoyed Sehwag’s batting.
He attacks the ball because the bowler must worry about where to bowl next. "The batsman is nervous," he says, "but he must make the bowler nervous too. When the bowler is nervous, he will bowl a bad ball." And with that Sehwag challenges the bowler, almost makes him move away from his strengths and then he capitalizes.
All his finest knocks have come whenever he has taken the attack to the opposition; he scored 284 in just a single day of a test match in Mumbai in 2009, 83 against England in that famous win at Chennai, 201 not out against Sri Lanka when the whole team could manage only 329. These are just the snapshots of his sparkling career. He did much more. He created fear, made captains to change strategies, gave bowlers a lot of time to get 20 wickets.
Triple centuries at a strike rate which you would have to rub your eyes to see whether it’s true or not. He changed the dynamics of the game. His ability to live in the present is extraordinary, his composure, exemplary. It would be difficult to gauge from his expression whether he is batting on 0 or 150.
He has hit a six to reach 300. He tried to go for a six to reach 200 but did not get the desired result. But tell me; is there any other batsman who would have dared to do that? His simple approach towards not just cricket but for life as well is something we need to admire and learn from.
Some of his shots will remain etched in the memory of those who have watched him in his prime; especially the upper cut, up and over the gully fielder and sometimes over third man too. The bowler and his captain discuss something animatedly after that but quite often Sehwag has found a way to disrupt the proceedings with his uninhibited stroke play.
His comparison with Sachin Tendulkar seems unfair to me. Because Sehwag is something else. He is his own man. He has his own method although he has many times said about how he used to shadow practice the shots played by Tendulkar. Over the years, Sehwag never compromised his natural game and even now if he gets a loose ball on green pitch outside off stump he will play the ferocious cut.
Let’s talk about few other aspects of Sehwag’s game. His reading of the game is as good as anyone in the business. Mind you, he was an under-rated captain. He wasn’t afraid of trying out unorthodox methods to get batsmen out.
His off-spin before the shoulder injury provided a lot of support to the bowling unit. The loop and drift which he generated with his bowling was very good for a part time bowler.
He played with a smile and brought many more for us; his fans and admirers.
Some of the best days of my childhood were spent watching Sehwag smash best bowlers out of the park. Sadly, he has retired; though the memories of childhood remain as fresh as ever.