Veteran India opener Virender Sehwag was one of the most destructive openers in world cricket during his cricketing years. He changed the concept of showcasing defence against the new ball in Test cricket as he used the same ODI template in red-ball cricket to score quick runs. The swashbuckling opener was widely regarded as one of the most destructive openers in Test cricket with two triple centuries to his name. He finished his Test career with a strike rate of 82.23, which is quite astonishing when it comes to red-ball cricket.
Sehwag was present at News18 India Chaupal on Monday where he named the two players who are a little close to the way he used to bat – Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant. However, the veteran opener also pointed out Pant is satisfied with 90-100 in Tests but his aim was to convert it into big scores.
“I don’t think so there is any player in the Indian team who bats like me. The two players who came to my mind who have come close to it are Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant. I think Rishabh Pant is a little bit close to what I used to bat like in Test cricket but he is satisfied with 90-100 but I used to get satisfied with 200, 250 and 300. If he took his game to that level then I think he can entertain the fans even more,” Sehwag said during News18 India Chaupal.
The 44-year-old also talked about his mindset of scoring big shots when he used to reach the 90s and he looked to hit boundaries to reach the triple-figure mark.
“I used to play tennis ball cricket where my mindset was to hit more runs through boundaries. I played with the same template in international cricket and used to calculate how many boundaries I need to score a century. If I am on 90 and to reach 100 if I take 10 balls then the opposition has 10 balls to get me out, which is why I used to go for boundaries and gave them only two balls to stop me reaching the triple figure-mark. The risk percentage rate dropped from 100 to 20,” Sehwag asserted.
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Sehwag further recalled a couple of incidents when he went for big shots when he was in his 190s against Australia and 290s against Pakistan in Test matches and the result was contrasting.
“I can recall the incident, we were in Australia and I hit Simon Katich for a couple of sixes to reach 195 and went for another one to reach the 200 but I got dismissed. Unfortunately. We lost that Test match. During the Multan Test against Pakistan I hit 6-7 sixes while reaching the 100-run mark, then Sachin Tendulkar came into bat and he said if you hit a six now then I will hit you bat. I asked why then he told me we lost the Test versus Australia because you went for six. I didn’t hit a six from 120 to 295 runs and then I told him that I will hit a six now to complete the triple century. Sachin said, “Are you mad? no one has hit a triple century for India. I replied no one has scored 295 also and I stepped out to hit Saqlain Mushtaq for a six and reach 300. Sachin Tendulkar was happier than me after that,” he added.
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