The Hindu : Sport : All four results seem possible

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 15, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport

All four results seem possible

Kunal Diwan

Strauss’s success constructed on “percentage cricket”

I was instructed to go after the pace bowlers: Sehwag
Getting Dravid out early would be very nice: Strauss

— Photo: K.R. Deepak

TIMELY Knock: Andrew Strauss celebrates after scoring a century.

CHENNAI: Always a thorn in the side of any opponent, Virender Sehwag on Sunday transformed himself into a rusty nail embedded deep in the flesh of England.

By the time he was extracted from the middle, by an ambiguous lbw decision off a snarling Graeme Swann off-break, Sehwag’s derring-do, with measured assistance from Gautam Gambhir, had wounded England and bridged the chasm between the two sides to a gettable 269.

While they may sound dated, axiomatic guidelines are usually based on proven principles. Test matches, it is said, are won session by session, partnership by partnership, wicket by wicket.

After sticking unflinchingly to the oft-trod path of success for nigh four whole days, England was derailed by a force of nature.

Savagery

More surreal savagery than a staid method performance, Sehwag’s 83 was garnished with 11 boundaries and four sixes. And the batsman was thoroughly downcast at having being given out when he looked good for more.

“Yes, I am disappointed. The ball was turning, and I was playing a shot…so I expected a decision in my favour. The umpiring needs to be more consistent,” he said later.

After three days of determined drudgery played out by England’s batsmen, the man from Najafgarh injected the proceedings with electrifying impetus. “I was instructed to go after the pace bowlers. The pacers gave me enough width to play my shots and I found that the ball was coming on to the bat,” he added.

Sehwag put his team’s chances of winning the Test on the morrow as “good.”

“We are used to batting on such tracks and will reach the target if we bat for 90 overs. Things may go awry if we try to finish the match in a hurry.”

Earlier, Andrew Strauss became the first Englishman to score a century in each innings of a Test match in India. “It was a special moment for me, more so because it came when the team required it and also because, after a tough time in 2007, I had given up hope of playing for England,” he said.

Strauss said his success was constructed on “percentage cricket” and that he stayed “well within my bubble and knew what shots to play when.”

The English batsman revealed that his side was still confident of upsetting India’s applecart in its own backyard.

“Getting Dravid out early would be very nice. It is imperative that we send the experienced campaigners packing first. We will bowl to an attacking field and wait for our chances,” he added.

Strauss also took some time out to marvel at Sehwag’s style of play and complimented the Indian opener’s sheer disdain for field placements.

Unfamiliar game

“He plays a game that most people are unfamiliar with. The kind of freedom he brings to batting is amazing, and rather pleasing to watch if you’re not at the receiving end.

“He enforces the use of defensive fields because it is so difficult to contain him. Even when we had our fieldsmen in place, Sehwag just went over them.”

While the nine wickets that it managed to preserve would make India fancy its chances, England would look to the pitch for some special last-day assistance to turn things its way.

On paper, however, all four results seem possible. Another tied Test for Chepauk? Monday will tell.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport