Sehwag's Top Gear takes India closer to the no.1 Spot

by Shreyas S. Bhide

Full credit to Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh for their outstanding contribution to the Indian victory at the Chepauk, but the man who really setup the win was Virendar Sehwag. The Delhi right-hander set up India's thrilling six-wicket victory in the first Test against England with a racy 83 as the hosts recorded the fourth-highest run chase in Test cricket.

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A year ago, things wouldn't have been so rosy for the Nawab of Najafgarh, who was under pressure from all quarters for his poor run at the top of the order. Match after match, innings after innings, failures continued to chase him and his appetite for runs was drying up along with his receding hairline. After a string of poor scores, Sehwag was dropped from India's Test squad to Bangladesh in 2007, and was not considered for either the Test or ODI sides to England. It took a certain Anil Kumble to bring Sehwag back in the reckoning and restore his confidence. Sehwag was picked for the Australia tour last December at the insistence of the captain, following injury to Gautam Gambhir even though he was not named in the initial list of probables due to an extended poor run. He went on to hit a match saving hundred at the Adelaide. Sehwag hit a classy 151 in that test to help India save the Test, a change in approach coming through the innings, with the help of coach Gary Kirsten. In the very next series, Sehwag became only the third batsman after Australia's Don Bradman and West Indian Brian Lara to score two Test triple centuries when he lashed 319 against South Africa in the drawn first Test in Chennai. It was the highest Test score by an Indian, bettering his previous best of 309 against Pakistan in March 2004. In the following series, he smashed the third double century (201 not out) of his career and 50 in the second innings to help India win the second Test at Galle. The hosts won the final Test to win the series. Sehwag also hit 35 and 90 in Mohali and 66 and 92 in Nagpur in the two Tests that India won to hand top-ranked Australia their first series defeat in November since the 2005 Ashes tour of England.

India's dominance in Test cricket this year has coincided with Virender Sehwag's run of excellent form after the explosive opener staged a spectacular comeback in January. Sehwag has racked up 1,445 runs in 13 Tests so far this year, smashing Test cricket's quickest triple century against South Africa and a double hundred of rare quality against Sri Lanka's mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis. The 30-year-old batsman hit six fifties and raised century partnerships for the first wicket on five occasions as India won six Tests and drew four others during the period. In his last five innings Sehwag averages 44.4, with two scores into the ninties. If the Delhi dasher continues such form at the top of the order, forming lethal combinations with Gambhir in every innings and starting the Indian innings with a flyer, it would help India emerge victorius more than often.

Since his return, Sehwag, whose strengths lie in hand-eye co-ordination and an uncomplicated technique, has blazed away in both Test and One-day cricket and was last month reinstated as Test vice-captain. He is the kind of player whose technique or style should not be tampered with because its his unique style that makes Sehwag the player, so special and unique.