The Hindu : Sport : Sehwag sizzles

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Wednesday, Nov 24, 2004

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Sehwag sizzles

By Vijay Lokapally

WHAT A FEELING! Virender Sehwag, who came up with a big score, is ecstatic after reaching the three-figure mark on Tuesday. — Photo: V.V. Krishnan.

KANPUR, NOV. 23. Virender Sehwag countered South Africa's negative tactics with an astonishing assault that lifted the quality of this contest for a brief period.

And once he departed, the contest stood condemned to a predictable finish on a pitch that has come in for scathing criticism from the Indian camp but, understandably, not from the South African team which should pat itself for achieving part of its goals as the first Test headed for a draw at the Green Park Stadium here.

Sehwag promised to give the match an interesting twist when he ruthlessly tore into the bowling, making a mockery of the defensive field with a range of mind-boggling strokes.

His rollicking knock of 164 put the South African attack in its place and confirmed Sehwag's status as one of the leading batsmen in world cricket, capable of inflicting misery on the bowlers in all conditions.

"He (Sehwag) put us under pressure with his batting. It's difficult to stop a guy who bats the way he did on this pitch. It was hard," confessed Boeta Dippenaar, giving an insight into the South African perspective of the situation as India finished the fourth day at 401 for four with Rahul Dravid batting with an encouraging composure.

The Indians accused the South Africans of adopting negative tactics. But the South Africans, as Dippenaar observed, had little choice.

"They (Indians) might feel that way but there wasn't much we could do. The pitch was not conducive to anything that we had planned. Under the circumstances, it was the best we could have done," said Dippenaar.

Dippenaar was accurate in his assessment of the day's play, which could be divided into two sections. One involving Sehwag, the darling of the audience, and another that pitted the acknowledged `titans of batting', Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, against a defensive set of South Africans.

Sehwag's show was entertaining and his dominance complete, just the kind that attracts spectators to the arena. But the momentum was lost once Sehwag departed.

Dour batting

With Dravid believing in grinding the attack and Ganguly opting to bat with an eye on the next Test, the contest lost its competitive flavour.

Subjected to criticism from all quarters, Ganguly made some valuable runs that must put him in the right frame of mind even as the team must be concerned with Sachin Tendulkar's indifferent form.

Not that the master did not make an effort. Only he did not last long to translate his desire to play to his potential. Even conceding the pitch was not to his liking and the pace too slow, it was expected of Tendulkar to adapt. He failed miserably, bowled off the pads when playing across.

The agony of losing Tendulkar cheaply steeled the Indian resolve in the middle but there was no Sehwag to cart the bowlers with disdain.

When Gautam Gambhir, 85 overnight, missed his hundred because of a rash shot, it was Sehwag who was more pained. "It was disappointing to have come so close and not get the century," said a dejected Gambhir. "I felt sorry for him. He batted so wonderfully," said Sehwag. Having worked so hard, Gambhir drove casually to nick behind.

Doing a Kapil

On a glorious afternoon, Sehwag carried the game to a different level. He was motivated by the sight of five men on the fence and smashed the South Africans in a daring style that reminded you of Kapil Dev at his peak.

Sehwag was slow in the curtailed first session. "I wanted to read the South Africans," he said. It was only after lunch that he exploded and made a huge impact with his sensational stroke-play. He plundered 56 runs off 35 balls in what stood out as the best phase of the match thus far.

Sehwag decimated seamers Andrew Hall and Zander de Bruyn with breathtaking strokes, quite a few of them off good deliveries. The flicked six off Hall and an effortless hoist to long-on off Robin Peterson adorned his eighth century in 28 Tests.

Sehwag's dismissal, however, was an anti-climax, coming from a ball that cut in. It was a tame end to a compelling knock indeed.

"The pressure eased when Sehwag was out," said Dippenaar.

The pair of Ganguly and Dravid could not maintain the intensity and pace that Sehwag attained even though they garnered useful runs. Ganguly, who played some delightful strokes, mistimed a pull but Dravid's was a typically crafted effort, giving little chance to the bowlers.

For all the work by Dravid, Ganguly and Hall, who claimed two wickets, the day would only be remembered for the aggressive batsmanship of Sehwag.

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