LAHORE, Jan 18: Indian opener Virender Sehwag was on Wednesday hailed as a batting genius on a par with Sachin Tendulkar after mauling the Pakistan attack in the first Test here.
Sehwag’s brilliant 254, his second double-century in as many Tests against Pakistan, forced critics to finally acknowledge he was more than just a rustic, copycat version of team-mate Sachin Tendulkar.
“The clone is now an original,” wrote veteran Indian journalist Ayaz Memon in the Mumbai-based Daily News and Analysis. “Sehwag is now the benchmark for future generation of cricketers, in India and everywhere else.”
When the short, stocky, curly-haired Sehwag burst onto the Test scene in 2001 with a century on debut against South Africa at Bloemfontein, many noticed a striking resemblance with Tendulkar in the way he looked and played.
The straight drive, backfoot punch and the ability to whip the ball off the hips all bore the stamp of the record-breaking Tendulkar, a modern great.
Sehwag laughed off the comparison, telling an English journalist in 2002: “Me and Sachin? No way. He has a much bigger bank balance than me!”
Sehwag, 27, may not be one of the most technically sound batsmen in contemporary cricket, but is second to none when it comes to striking the ball hard and clean.
He cocks a snook at coaching manuals and bats as if his sole purpose is to dominate and demoralise the rival bowling. He is all eye and power and has an uncanny knack of finding gaps.
And Pakistan’s bowlers know that better than most.
Against Pakistan, Sehwag has plundered 1,236 runs in just seven Tests with an astonishing average of 112.36. Overall he has 3,574 runs from 40 Tests at 56.73.
Sehwag’s love affair with the Pakistani attack began in the opening Test at Multan in 2004 when he became the first Indian to smash a triple-century, reaching the landmark with a six.
Then, when Pakistan toured India last year, Sehwag hammered 173 in the first Test in Mohali, 81 in the second in Kolkata and 201 in the third in Bangalore.
The audacious 254 in the drawn first Test here on Tuesday, a knock studded with 47 boundaries and a six, came during a 410-run opening stand with skipper Rahul Dravid after Pakistan had amassed 679-7 declared.
The partnership fell just four runs short of breaking the 50-year-old world record of fellow-countrymen Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy, who put on 413 for the first wicket against New Zealand in Chennai in 1956.
Pakistan captain Inzamamul Haq conceded it was difficult to stop Sehwag when he was in such flow.
“We had a plan to contain him but he still scored at a brisk pace,” said Inzamam. “There has to be a way to get him cheaply.”
Pakistan’s fast bowling great Waqar Younis said he was relieved he did not have to bowl to Sehwag.
“I don’t know how I would have been able to stop him,” he said.
For his part, Sehwag said Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shoaib Akhtar had not lived up to expectations.—AFP
