Sehwagologists
19thmay
Ajaybaskar
Anban
Arun Prasad
BennyLava
CHELLA(M)PORIKKI
Dhakshan
Dinesh84
Directhit
Hamid
Kalyasi
Littlemaster1982
Maddy
Maniraj
Plum
P_R
Sathya_1979
Satissh_r
Sourav
Steveaustin
Vanchi
Venkiram
Vinodkumar
‡‡
Printable View
Sehwagologists
19thmay
Ajaybaskar
Anban
Arun Prasad
BennyLava
CHELLA(M)PORIKKI
Dhakshan
Dinesh84
Directhit
Hamid
Kalyasi
Littlemaster1982
Maddy
Maniraj
Plum
P_R
Sathya_1979
Satissh_r
Sourav
Steveaustin
Vanchi
Venkiram
Vinodkumar
‡‡
Delhi Daredevil - [[-¤--^ V I R U ^--¤-]]
[html:c596e1ba1d] http://www.cricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/...600/100630.jpg [/html:c596e1ba1d]
Official Site!
http://viruworld.com/
http://twitter.com/sehwagvirender
http://twitter.com/#search?q=sehwagvirender
Virender Sehwag
India
Full name Virender Sehwag
Born October 20, 1978, Delhi
Current age 30 years 56 days
Major teams India, Asia XI, Delhi, Delhi Daredevils, ICC World XI, India Blue, Leicestershire, Rajasthan Cricket Association President's XI
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
http://www.cricketwithballs.com/sehwagology/
http://republiquecricket.files.wordp...pg?w=370&h=370
http://republiquecricket.files.wordp...pg?w=370&h=370
http://republiquecricket.files.wordp...pg?w=370&h=370
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes...ag-is-the-best
Quotes about SEHWAG by great players......
If he is in the field for more than 10 overs,im sure the bowlers are going to have a tough time"-srikanth
"He is the most unpredictable batsman i have ever seen in my career"-Mcgrath
"Having scored 298 and still hitting a six is something unimaginable"-Waqar younis
"I have to learn from him how to play in the nervous 90's"-Sachin
"No matter how good and experienced you are, he can kill your attitude"-Brett Lee
Virender Sehwag. India's volcano of an opening batsman, the best show in town and most destructive wielder of willow on the planet,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008...=ILCNETTXT3487
Batting and fielding averages Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
Tests 65 112 4 5600 319 51.85 7168 78.12 15 18 791 64 50 0
ODIs 196 191 7 6124 130 33.28 6143 99.69 9 33 839 96 76 0
T20Is 9 8 0 172 68 21.50 132 130.30 0 1 19 6 0 0
First-class 127 211 8 10077 319 49.64 29 36 109 0
List A 266 256 12 8077 130 33.10 10 50 100 0
Twenty20 33 32 3 780 94* 26.89 496 157.25 0 5 90 32 4 0
Bowling averages Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10
Tests 65 62 2323 1149 29 5/104 5/118 39.62 2.96 80.1 0 1 0
ODIs 196 125 3871 3413 84 3/25 3/25 40.63 5.29 46.0 0 0 0
T20Is 9 1 6 20 0 - - - 20.00 - 0 0 0
First-class 127 6954 3582 93 5/104 38.51 3.09 74.7 1 0
List A 266 5476 4706 130 4/17 4/17 36.20 5.15 42.1 2 0 0
Twenty20 33 16 252 345 16 3/14 3/14 21.56 8.21 15.7 0 0 0
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/indi...yer/35263.html
Virender Sehwag has constructed an extraordinary career with a relentless quest, and a genius, for boundary hitting. With minimal footwork but maximum intent, he has piled Test runs at a faster pace than anyone in the history of cricket. Bowlers must always fancy their chances against a batsman who plays so many strokes; it's just that Sehwag fancies his chances against them much more.
As a starry-eyed youngster from Najafgarh, where his family ran a flour mill, Sehwag grew up, like many others from his generation, wanting to be Sachin Tendulkar. Indeed, when he scored his first one-day hundred, filling up for his injured idol against New Zealand in Sri Lanka, he could have been mistaken for him: there was the same back-foot punch on the off side, the minimalistic straight drive and the wristy whip to the leg. And on his Test debut, on a fiery pitch at Bloemfontein, he matched the master stroke for stroke as they both blazed away to hundreds. But soon he emerged his own man, and not long after Tendulkar was playing a supporting, and somewhat calming, hand as Sehwag romped away to a triple hundred, the first by an Indian, in Multan, bringing it up with a six. Two Tests ago, he had been dismissed trying the same stroke five short of what would have been his first Test double hundred.
His uncomplicated approach - batting is all about scoring as many runs as quickly as possible - belies a sharp and street-smart cricket mind. He has a keen grasp of his own, and his opponents', strengths and weaknesses and exploits them in a forensic manner. What appears risky to many, is merely an opportunity for him, and his lack of footwork, which does get him in trouble against the moving ball, is mostly an advantage, for it creates space for his brilliant handwork. Few batsmen have hit the ball harder square on the offside, and fewer still have hit them as frequently. And the sight of a spinner brings the savage out in him: and for many spectacular assaults against the world's leading spinners, there have numerous outrageous dismissals against the not-so-reputed ones.
The most remarkable aspect of Sehwag's career of course has been his ability to build massive Test scores at breathtaking speed. He holds the Indian record for highest number the Test double hundreds, and came within seven runs of joining Don Bradman in scoring three triple hundreds. That innings, against Sri Lanka at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, epitomised the Sehwag brand of batsmanship: a mix of imagination, daring, power, skills, and clarity of vision.
He is equally refreshing off the field and shares his views on the game in an endearingly direct and candid manner, a rare trait among contemporary cricketers. He is, in every sense, a true original.
Profile
Virender Sehwag is a primal talent whose rough edges make him all the more appealing. By the time he had scored his first centuries in one-day cricket (off 70 balls, against New Zealand) and Test cricket (on debut, against South Africa, from 68 for 4), he was already eliciting comparisons with his idol Sachin Tendulkar. It is half true. Like Tendulkar, he is short and square with curly hair, plays the straight drive, backfoot punch and whip off the hips identically, but leaves Tendulkar in the shade when it comes to audacity.
Asked to open the innings in Tests on the tour of England in 2002, Sehwag proved an instant hit, cracking an 80 and a 100 in the first two matches. Regularly thereafter, he kept conjuring pivotal innings at the top of the order, none as significant as India's first 300 (which he bought up, characteristically, with a six), at Multan against Pakistan in early 2004.
Sehwag bowls effective, loopy offspin, and is a reliable catcher in the slips. He also once almost split the cricket world: when he was banned for a match by the ICC referee Mike Denness on grounds of excessive appealing, the Indian board wasn't prepared to listen, and even played an unofficial Test with South Africa to prove a point. When a compromise was finally reached, Sehwag was back to his merry ways.
Though he continued to dominate in the Test arena, Sehwag's one-day form dipped alarmingly - after January 2004, he went through a period of 60 matches where he averaged under 29. Despite his fitness levels dropping and his one-day spot being under threat - he was dropped from the side for the home series against West Indies in early 2007 - Sehwag continued to sparkle in Tests, as shown by his magnificent 254 at Lahore. In June, he came excruciatingly close to scoring a century before lunch in the first day against West Indies in St Lucia, a feat never accomplished before by an Indian batsman.
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. He was a surprise pick for the Test team to tour Australia after not being named in the initial list of probables.
Sehwag had to wait for two matches before he made a strong comeback in the Perth Test, where he gave the innings' momentum with knocks of 29 and 43, and took two wickets with his offspin in Australia's second innings, to help India claim one of their greatest wins. He followed it up with scores of 63 and an imperious 151 - his first century in the team's second innings - to help India draw the Test in Adelaide. Then, in the first Test against South Africa in Chennai, he made an even more emphatic statement, rattling off the quickest triple-century in Test cricket, off just 278 balls. He eventually made 319 - the highest score by an Indian - and in the process became only the third batsman, after Don Bradman and Brian Lara, to pass 300 twice in Tests. In his next Test series against Sri Lanka in 2008, Sehwag thrived while the Indian middle-order struggled against the mystery spin of Ajantha Mendis. His double-hundred and half-century were instrumental in India winning the Galle Test.
Cricinfo Staff (October 1, 2008)
Sehwag is the leading run-getter in 2008
UNI
Monday, December 15th, 2008 AT 12:12 PM
Tags: sehwag, sachin, graeme smith, gavaskar, vvs laxman
Close...
Test
Virender Sehwag plays a shot during Day 4 of Chennai Test, against England, on Sunday
CHENNAI: Dashing Indian Opener Virender Sehwag, who has set up a possible Indian victory in the first test against England with his aggressive innings on Sunday evening, has, so far, emerged as the leading run scorer among the cricketers in the world for 2008.
The swashbuckling cricketer, who smashed a 68-ball 83, has so far scored 1,445 runs in 2008, ahead of South African Skipper Greame Smith's 1,363 runs.
Sehwag has played 25 innings in 13 matches in the year, hitting three centuries and six 50s with 319 against South Africa, the second triple hundred for the Najafgarh-born cricketer, being the highest.
With the second test against England coming up in the next four days time, Sehwag can further improve on his performance.
Smith, too, can catch up with the Indian as the Proteas are to play their first test against Australia from Thursday.
Behind him was Greame Smith, (1,363 runs, 13 matches, 21 innings, five hundreds and four 50s), India's V V S Laxman (1045 runs, 14 matches, 24 innings, two hundreds, seven 50s), H M Amla of South Africa (1012, 13 matches, 20 innings, three hundreds, five 50s) and Neil Mckenzie of South Africa (102, 12 matches, 19 innings, three hundreds and two 50s).
This was the 17th occasion that an Indian cricketer has scored more than 1,000 runs in a calendar year.
Master-blaster Sachin Tendulkar and former skipper Sunil Gavaskar have achieved it four times each, Rahul Dravid and Sehwag twice and Gundappa Viswanath, Sourav Ganguly, Mohinder Amarnath, V V S Laxman and Dilip Vengsarkar once each.
Following is the list: Sehwag (2008) 1445 runs S M Gavaskar (1979) 1,407 runs Sachin Tendulkar (2002) 1,392 runs G R Viswanath (1979) 1,388 runs Rahul Dravid (2002) 1,357 runs S M Gavaskar (1983) 1,310 runs Sehwag (2004) 1141 runs, Saurav Ganguly (2007) 1106 runs S M Gavaskar (1978) 1099 runs Rahul Dravid (2006) 1095 runs Sachin Tendulkar (1999) 1088 runs Mohinder Amarnath, (1983) 1077 runs V V S Laxman (2008) 1045 runs Dilip Vengsarkar, (1979) 1044 runs SM Gavaskar (1976) 1024 runs Sachin Tendulkar (2001) 1003 runs Sachin Tendulkar (1997) 1000 runs
http://www.sakaaltimes.com/2008/12/1...g-rungett.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by ajithfederer
Sehwag, a genuine match-winner
When Sehwag gets going, it is almost like watching Richards, writes
L. Sivaramakrishnan
Almost a year ago, when India toured Australia, Virender Sehwag did not even get to play the first two Test matches. Eventually, he did play the last two matches and he went on to score a century at Adelaide. That seemed to be the turning point for this young man.
Since then 2008 has been a bonanza of runs. When Sehwag gets going, it is almost like watching Viv Richards of the yesteryear.
There is utter disregard for the bowlers and the disdain with which he dispatches the ball is a sight to behold.
When Sehwag hit Paul Collingwood for two consecutive sixes, the bowler confessed later that he was very worried that all the six balls that he bowled would meet the same fate. That is the kind of fear that Sehwag instils in the opposition.
Viru too was very forthright in his opinion. “The bowler might be good” he agreed “but there are always bad balls waiting to be put away.” And when he sees these balls, God forbid anyone standing in the way.
Sehwag is the kind of batsman who wins you matches. His partnership with Sachin Tendulkar at Cuttack made the English target look very ordinary. The blistering attack left the English bowlers floundering.
Kevin Pietersen had to use all his best bowlers to try and contain the carnage. None of it had any effect on Shewag who went on to score a dazzling 91 and Pietersen was left with few bowling choices towards the end.
Uncomplicated
Like his game, Shewag’s view point is uncomplicated. He says things as he sees it.
He does not believe in turning away in the face of opposition. Instead, his policy has always been to take ‘arms against the sea of trouble, and by opposing, end them.’
His interviews stand testimony to this. I once asked him before an interview if there was something in particular that he would like to discuss. He just shook his head and told me “Ask what you wish and I will just answer them the best I can.”
In Bangalore, one could see him at the boundary with the crowds, whistling and cheering his teammates on. Obviously here was a man who was enjoying himself and his game. Contrary to what most people might think, he feels no pressure of vice-captaincy.
Deadly combination
It is this deadly combination of self-belief and the ability to enjoy what he does that tears the opposition apart.
He has a fantastic hand-eye co-ordination. While he earlier was most comfortable with an outside the off-stump line, he is now able to play a middle and off line with equal ease.
As a bowler all you can hope to do, is persist and wait for him to make a mistake.
The problem with a batsman like Sehwag though, is that if he does not make a mistake for an hour, then the game is already out of your hands.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/28/stor...2852751800.htm
He is a true match winner on his own... :notworthy: :notworthy:
Pitch never matters....
Opponents never matter...
Bowlers never matter...
True champion
:redjump: :bluejump:
Sehwag - Mature and perhaps more dangerous now: The Times of India
Statistics do not begin to describe the effects of the primal fury of Sehwag's batting. But his career graph has been more enigmatic than effective. Coaches have struggled to put a finger on his style, but that's their problem. Perhaps unfairly, Sehwag has also often been accused of lacking perspective.
All that is now set to change. A dull and meaningless Test was lit up as Viru, for seven hours, made the format of the game irrelevant. As Rahul Dravid said, "Sehwag played over 360 degrees", executing all the shots in the book, and some not in the book.
So successfully did he combat Harris' negative line that the bowler soon switched to bowling round the wicket. Perhaps he just found it too humiliating to be repeatedly dispatched to the fence by a Sehwag batting left-handed, for all practical purposes.
True to his character, Sehwag tried to bring up his hundred with a six, but the ball dropped short. He lofted Makhaya Ntini again when on 193 and hit a six again when on 291. Which other frontline batsman would have the courage to lash two fours and a six in the last over before tea?
Twice now, he has gone where no other Indian batting legend has dared to tread — the 300-run club — putting him at par with the likes of Brian Lara and Don Bradman, the only others with two scores of 300 or more in Tests.
Playing only his third Test since making a comeback on the tour of Australia, Sehwag has not quite got the respect he deserves before this, although his match-winning prowess has been praised by many. His career has blown hot and cold over the past two years, and questions over his form, fitness and commitment gradually shifted the focus away from his rare eye-body coordination, his skilled strokeplay and his improvised ease against quality attacks.
The signs were there in the last Test at Adelaide that Sehwag had matured into an adaptable plunderer when he saved a Test match. Sehwag is now leaner, meaner, fit enough to brave the Chennai heat for more than seven hours, run the singles hard without flinching once, or showing signs of cramping. As a batsman who has revelled in all conditions and was eager to state his case, Chennai was a nightmare waiting to happen for Graeme Smith's men. The barrage of boundaries left them bereft of ideas.
From being captaincy material to vice-captain to losing his place in both Tests and ODIs to regaining his spot in Australia, Friday's knock, the definitive stamp of his creative genius, brings Viru's career full circle. And now questions are being raised — is he among the all-time batting greats? Well, perhaps he is.
http://www.zeenews.com/Newspapers/20...33295news.html
CRICKET CORNER -- Bob Simpson Column
Sehwag - the plus & the minus points
IS he as good as Sachin? This is probably the most asked question of me since I have been in India. The 'He', is of course Virender Sehwag and the question to me is irrelevant and not in the best interest of Virender.
In Australia it has almost been the kiss of death for youngsters to be labelled another Bradman. It has been a cross which has destroyed many talented youngsters and it is equally as dangerous to compare Indian batsmen with Tendulkar. It is particularly tough on batsmen such as Sehwag who is comparatively new to Indian cricket.
Obviously, he is an exciting youngster whose exhilarating style has caught the imagination of the public. But, can this uninhibited approach allow him to maintain the consistency that is necessary to carve out a long career at the highest level? Make no mistake about it, every bowler in world cricket will be analysing this question and what he can do about it.
That is the way of bowlers and it has been going on since the game evolved. These days it is much easier with cable television, videos and the technical gadgets which allow you to analyse an opponent better than ever before.
Even now bowlers throughout the world will be exchanging mails with their thoughts on how to stop the flow of runs from this new wonder. It is nothing new and the bowlers' grapevine is one of the most efficient gatherer of information in the world.
This is why the general consensus of opinion is, never evaluate the future of batsmen in their first year. Bowlers haven't had the time to evaluate and work out tactics in the first year and it is now accepted that the second season is the most important one for young batsmen.
For, it is then bowlers will have assessed the strengths and weaknesses of this new young threat and formed a strategy as to how to nullify the strengths and take advantage of his weaknesses.
What will this initial appraisal reveal?
Obviously, Sehwag has great natural ability with wonderful timing and a penchant to play square of the wicket on the off-side. He is a beautiful striker of the ball on the off and loves to be aggressive.
These are the positive points but where is he vulnerable?
Firstly, because he likes to hit the ball square on the off he likes to give himself room and against the quicks too often plays back in the line of leg stump. This means he can be tied up with well directed deliveries on middle and leg.
Also, from this position his strength can also be his weakness if the bowler bowls a correct length and moves the ball towards the slips.
Any batsman like Sehwag who hits so many balls behind point both from the back and front foot must open the face of the bat and thus give the bowler a chance with the ball that moves away.
In addition, Sehwag's movement towards leg stump must make him more vulnerable to the short-pitched delivery. He hasn't been worked over in this area as yet, but I am sure on the quicker wickets of South Africa the quicks will give his ribs a working over. He prospered against the Windies spinners in Mumbai where they gave him plenty of room to hit the ball in his favourite area.
Shane Warne and company will have noted this and will bowl a middle and leg line and probably drop mid-off deep. They will block this area, for Sehwag always tries to loft the ball when he is restricted by the spinners.
Such a line will force Sehwag to play more to the leg, an area which is not his favourite and may lead him to hit dangerously across the line.
All this sounds simple, doesn't it? How will Sehwag react to all this and will the bowlers be able to bowl to such a plan knowing that to err and stray outside the off will play to Sehwag's strength?
Personally, I think he will have to tighten up his technique and ball selection. At present he is playing incredible shots to balls not suitable to the stroke and which contain a very high level of danger.
He won't always get away with slicing just short of a driving length balls through point with half a blade. And on quicker wickets these strokes will easily lead to catches behind the wicket.
As I re-read this assessment, I can't help but think I would have said the same things about South Africa's great left-hander Graeme Pollock.
Pollock made the small changes necessary and became one of the finest batsmen ever.
I will be fascinated to watch Virender's progress in the next 12 months.
Sometimes I wonder whether English cricket can see the wood for the trees. Their captain Nasser Hussain's recent quote backs this feeling up.
His latest gem is, "There are field settings and tactics you can beat Australia with. It's up to me and the coach to work that out as soon as possible." Talk about putting the horse before the cart.
With any theory or tactic you should have the bowlers to back them up. I don't think they have such bowlers. I wonder whether the computer which English cricket is so fond of these days or a PR Man is writing Nasser's script.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/tss/tss2544/25440260.htm
After Viv Richards, its Sehwag :clap:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anban
Few better match-winners than Sehwag, says Kapil
- Viv the only other batsman with same approach: World Cup-winning captain
Calcutta: Kapil Dev’s sixes-record, for India in Tests, has gone for a six. He’s far from disappointed, though.
“A record is meant to be re-written and I’m happy that somebody as devastating as (Virender) Sehwag has broken mine... In fact, till people began talking about it, I didn’t even know the old one was in my name,” India’s lone World Cup-winning captain told The Telegraph.
Speaking on Monday, the day after Sehwag smashed past 61 sixes, stopping at No. 64, Kapil added: “The only other batsman with the same approach that I can think of is Viv (Richards)... Sachin Tendulkar has changed his game, he’s more cautious now... (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni has done much the same... Sehwag, on the other hand, is more aggressive than before.”
Laughing, he quipped: “I’d been expecting Sachin or Sourav Ganguly to hold the sixes-record... Had he not changed his game, Sachin’s tally would surely have been 100-plus (instead of 47)... Sourav too could hit big and very clean.”
Besides a great hand-eye co-ordination, Sehwag’s bindaas approach makes the difference. “It’s his intent which is special... He’s not bound by circumstances... How many have got to 300 with a six (in Multan, early 2004)? But, then, that’s Sehwag,” lauded Kapil.
Reflecting on the Chennai Test, won dramatically by Team India, he said: “When the chase began, I didn’t give Dhoni and Co. more than a 10 per cent chance... (MoM) Sehwag, however, changed everything... It’s almost unreal that somebody can change the course of a match within 68 balls... What an innings of 83! Our chance of winning, in my opinion, straightaway jumped to 60 per cent... Yes, there have been greater batsmen than Sehwag, but few better match-winners...”
Kapil signed off by saying: “Irrespective of what else he achieves, Sehwag will be remembered for giving the position of an opener such a new dimension... He has, single-handedly, changed the rules of the game and his place in history seems assured.”
Indeed, and as Kevin Pietersen has learnt, it doesn’t pay to underestimate an opposition which has Sehwag in the XI.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/108121...y_10258509.jsp
MAN OF THE MATCH
Virender Sehwag
There must have been very few times when a batsman — Andrew Strauss — who scored hundreds in both innings of a Test gets ignored for the Man of the Match award; when Sachin Tendulkar scored a hundred and yet doesn’t bag the prize. But such was the impact of Virender Sehwag’s entertaining 83 on the fate of this game that it you just coudn’t but admit that this, indeed, was the defining moment of the game. As skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni rightly said after the match, till Viru’s 68-ball blitzkerig, India were only defending in this game. Thanks to that wonderful knock, the hosts were always looking at victory on the final day. Incidentally,
arumai arumai!!
pic enabled in first post.... :boo: :boo:
:ty: NOV...
:notthatway: It's PR :PQuote:
Originally Posted by sourav
Illa LM... naan than NOV kitta cc-la solli enable panna sonnen.... check cc...:P
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Most runs in a calendar year-
http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/content...ds/284248.html
Smith is leading Sehwag by around 75 runs this year. With SA has another full test to play this year, Sehwag has only one innings.
So Smith may end up as leading run scorer for 2008.
Hit And Run Guy
Exiling the rulebook, Sehwag imported the typhoon's ferocity on to the placid waters of Test opening
Rohit Mahajan on Virender Sehwag
There are tales, and then there are tales, one more incredible than the other, about Virender Sehwag.
Shane Warne narrates a delectable one in his recent book. Playing for Leicestershire against Middlesex, Sehwag found Abdul Razzaq reverse-swinging the ball alarmingly. He called his batting partner Jeremy Snape over and said he had a plan. "We must lose this ball," Sehwag said matter-of-factly. Next over, Viru smashed the ball clean out of the ground. The ball was lost. The replacement ball would, obviously, not reverse right away. "We're all right for one hour," he told the non-striker, who told Warne. Mission accomplished.
Just what sort of mind could think up something as simply ingenious as this and actually manage to implement it without a Plan B? Perhaps the only one who approaches the gentleman's game with the hunter's instinct blended with the credo of aristocratic leisure—pleasure, pure and simple, married to purpose. Perhaps only the Nawab of Najafgarh, whose ruggedly simple approach hides a razor-sharp cricketing mind. Little wonder, after India won the Chennai Test against England on the back of an electric 83 from him, Mahendra Singh Dhoni said: "Of course, Sachin and Yuvraj batted really well to finish off the match. But they were able to do that because of the start given by Sehwag. Without him, we would have been defending the match."
Welcome to a distinctive ethos of cricket that is gaining fans with every cut, drive and loft. It is called Sehwagism. It means that its practitioner takes the rule book, tears it up, and traduces every principle. Implicit in this credo is the greatest possible belief in your own abilities, and none for your foe's record or reputation. It involves making choices and sticking to them. It means not allowing kindness to trespass between you and the bowler.
In a sport governed by laws, Sehwag has made it legal to think the unthinkable. If the ball is on the stumps or at good length, he'll defend or drive. If it's up, he'll whack. If it's short and wide outside off, he'll attempt to pound it to cover or third man. If it's short and on the wicket, he'll try to send it soaring over the midwicket boundary.
And Sehwag will employ the said method in whatever format of the game he chances to be playing in—Tests, one-dayers, or Twenty20. Against anybody, anywhere. Wearing pitch on the fourth day? No problem. Facing the new ball? No thought of curtailment. Shadows lengthening? Nothing darkens his mind. He'll farm all of the wide, unhindered swathe he has scythed for himself.
Generations of fans and followers have been brought up on the old mantra of opening batsman. Of respectfully playing in the 'V'. Of not hitting in the air. Of giving the first hour to the bowler and taking the remaining five. Of taking the shine off. Sehwag begs to differ, in a manner that leaves most coaches cringe in insecurity.
That's why he perishes at 195, attempting a six; that's also why he reaches a triple century with a six. A man who doesn't play with tomorrow's newspaper layouts in mind is a man to be admired, and feared.
Coaches say you can't defy the tenets of the game. That if you do, you will perish, that you will be sorted out. Yet, Sehwag presents a strange conundrum. "Primitive" technique, yet such big scores, and two triple centuries in Test cricket! He gives us thrillers, but not cameos. He's a master of the long-playing thriller. He's got the only triple-century to be scored at over a run a ball, and three of the seven fastest double centuries are owned by him.
There are other openers around who murder bowlers, but Sehwag's figures tell a different tale.Matthew Hayden? Sehwag gets 19 more runs than Hayden does every 100 balls. Graeme Smith? Mind the gap (see United Racers Of Cricket).
So, has Sehwag rewritten the grammar that governed generations of Test openers? Viru is post-modernist, post-Wren & Martin. But simple, not complex. Deeds, not words. "I believe in performance, not technique," he says.
Sehwag's game, with its casual indifference to his own fate or that of bowlers, harks back to the days when he was really young, when he must have played only for joy. Ten years after he made his international debut, Sehwag's game remains soaked in sunlit youth, and that imparts beauty to its nonchalance.
The school where Virender Sehwag learned the game
A remarkable attacking player was fashioned on a patch of grey soil and scruffy grass at a poor school in west Delhi
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle5380346.ece
BLOCK G in Vikaspuri, west Delhi, is not easy to find. The streets are dusty, cramped and chaotic, an immigrant enclave and a far cry from the centre where Westerners in luxury hotels get the impression of the city as verdant, spacious and ordered. But here is the true India and the creative soul of a unique talent in cricket. Block G is home to the Vikaspuri government boys senior secondary school, where Virender Sehwag learned to play the game. It is a modest place, and receives funding from the lower strata of society, but like many state schools in India it is proud of its sport. Its cricket ground takes up as much space as the school buildings and playground. Within feet of the thunderous traffic are four nets and a small pavilion which has painted on the front a smiling cricketer. It ought to be Sehwag but looks more like his hero Sachin. Amazingly, Sehwag still comes here to practice when he’s at home in Najafgarh, the suburb where he grew up a half-hour’s jostling scooter ride away, which was how he was taken to school. Sehwag says that last year, while India toured England without him, he came here regularly to bat against bowlers he had commandeered from Delhi’s Ranji Trophy team, including the 20-year-old Ishant Sharma.
On this patch of grey soil and scruffy grass a remarkable player was fashioned, the most attacking opening batsman the game has seen. His back foot was tied to the net to discourage him from skipping down the pitch and a bag of mud strapped to the back of his bat to enhance the power of his shots. Sehwag’s bats today bear testimony to this regime, the edges of those he uses for one-day cricket are an inch thick.
His father Krishan remained sceptical. He knew the odds of his son making the big time were fantastically long, he feared he might neglect his studies - and he was most unhappy to be presented with a large dental bill one day after his son had been struck by a ball. But he still acquiesced when AN Sharma, the school coach, asked the family to put the third of their four children on a special diet to improve his strength. In wealthier schools across Delhi, legions of conventional batsmen were being produced. One of them was Aakash Chopra, who often came up against Sehwag in schools matches before playing with him for Delhi and, eventually, India. “Things are changing now thanks to Twenty20 but back then most boys were taught to play conventionally,” he recalled. “The only way to succeed was to score big runs in junior cricket and we believed that to do that we had to bat six, seven, eight hours with patience and a good technique, and play each ball on its merits. When you hit the ball through the covers, it must go along the ground, not in the air. But Viru was different. He had the talent, coordination and strength to hit the ball out of the park. He was a middle-order batsman who was extremely confident playing spin bowling but quite restricted against the quicks. He was not particularly comfortable against them. He was strong but never athletic. I didn’t think he would make it."
Sharma confirmed that he did not seek to steer Sehwag away from his attacking instincts. “I never encouraged him to play defensively. I told him, ‘Keep your bat and pads together but hit it, don’t kiss it."
Early impressions were of a talented chancer. A quarter of Sehwag’s dismissals were due to run-outs or stumpings — the tethered foot only worked up to a point — and he had missed out on India’s provisional squad for the Under-19 World Cup until Sharma lobbied for him to be given a trial. Owais Shah and Graeme Swann, who faced him for England in that tournament, have no recollection of how he played.
A few months later, though, in his first first-class innings, Sehwag hit 118 from 147 balls against a Haryana attack containing three spinners on what Chopra recalled was a rank turner. “I remember thinking that if this was the way he was going to play, it was going to be pretty special.”
Sehwag’s great gift after his talent was his capacity for hard work. Over the next two years he improved dramatically against fast bowling, to the point where in a zonal match at Mohali in early 2001 he blazed his way to 162 from 190 balls in seaming conditions. Even Zaheer Khan was unable to stop him running amok; he was still hitting boundaries even with nine men on the rope. It was an outrageous display.
Later that year he scored a century on Test debut against South Africa and nine months after that was opening the innings for India for the first time during a tour of England. He scored 84 at Lord’s, 105 at Trent Bridge and has since never really batted out of the top two. But he needed some convincing that this was the best place for him to bat. Sharma says Sehwag argued for 30 minutes before giving in.
Some astonishing tours de force have followed. He has broken several fast-scoring records and is the only India batsman to score a triple-century, something he has done twice. But the risks are high. He was dropped from the team last year and, for all his match-turning heroics in Chennai, it has been 14 innings since his last hundred. But what an innings that was, an unbeaten 201 against Muttiah Muralitharan and Ayantha Mendis while his team-mates floundered.
“Viru has changed the definition of what it takes to open the batting in Test cricket,” said Chopra, who opened with Sehwag during 10 Tests in 2003-04. “I grew up wanting to bat like Michael Atherton, in traditional mode, leaving the ball outside off stump, but Viru has turned everything on its head. His speed and consistency are remarkable. He has developed so much time against the quickest bowling in the world.
“He backs himself no matter how often he fails. There will be those advising him to change, but he won’t. He is a little bull-headed. He knows his own mind.”
Chennai was a classic case in point. Sehwag was out in what seemed reckless fashion in the first innings, dragging an attempted cut into his stumps, but he still went out and played in exactly the same way in the second innings, tearing into the England bowling.
Matthew Hayden has also brought unusual aggression to the business of opening the batting but his strike-rate lags well behind Sehwag’s and he scores in more predictable areas, focusing on hitting down the ground. Where Sehwag differs from most openers is in the flamboyance of his backlift, which for sheer outrageousness bears comparison with Brian Lara’s. Generally, the higher the backlift the greater the risk of things going wrong on the down-swing. But Sehwag still brings down the bat very straight, even for those lacerating horizontal strokes he plays through backward point, where he scored so many of his runs in India’s run-chase in the first Test. For all his phenomenal success, Sehwag remains the same shy, compassionate person. “He is a very humble, down-to-earth boy,” Sharma said. “When he comes back to see us, he is just the same as he always was.”
http://sports.in.msn.com/cricket/sto...mentid=1770330
Someone post the article pls...
Virender Sehwag raised quite a few eyebrows when he was named in India's Test team to tour Australia in late 2007 and early 2008 as he had not been named in the initial list of probables for the tour Down Under. Sehwag had disappointed with a string of low scores in 2007 and was dropped from India's Test squad to Bangladesh and was not picked for the Test or one-day international series in England last year.Quote:
Originally Posted by sourav
However, Sehwag made a strong return to the Indian team during the Test series in Australia and hasn't looked back since as he has gone from strength to strength and reclaimed not only his place in the Indian line-up, but has also regained the vice-captaincy role that he had lost due to his inconsistent performances in the past. Sehwag may not be looking to answer his critics, but his performances with the bat is his response to the detractors who are of the opinion that he doesn't have the technqiue to succeed in international cricket.
Well, technique or no technique, Sehwag has had phenomenal success in 2008 not only because of his talent but also due to his terrific hand-eye co-ordination. In 2008, Sehwag became only the third batsman after Sir Don Bradman and Brian Lara to make two triple centuries in Test cricket history and his half-century in Chennai in December 2008 laid the foundation for India successfully chasing one of the largest targets to win a Test match. Sehwag also had one of his better years in one-day internationals as his average of 49.61 in 2008 indicates.
In all, Sehwag scored 1,462 runs with a highest score of 319 at an average of 56.23 and strike rate of 85.84 in 14 Test matches. He also hit three centuries and six half-centuries in the 27 Test innings he played in the year. Sehwag also had a good 2008 in one-day internationals as he scored 893 runs including a century and eight half-centuries with a highest score of 119 and an average of 49.61 and strike rate of 120.02 from 18 matches. It should be no surprise then that there was no looking beyond Sehwag for our 'Cricketing comeback of the year' title.
Virender Sehwag wasn't a part of the Indian XI for the first two matches of the four-Test series in Australia, but made an impression on his return to the team for the third Test in Perth. Sehwag's knocks of 29 and 43 as well as his two wickets in Australia's second innings, contributed significantly to one of India's most memorable wins in Test cricket. Sehwag followed his efforts in Perth with innings of 63 and 151 in the fourth Test at Adelaide, as his knocks also helped India draw that match.
And, though Sehwag didn't have too much success in the Commonwealth Bank tri-series following the Test series in Australia, he had done enough to force his way back in to India's Test and one-day teams. For the record, Sehwag scored only 81 runs at an average of 16.20 in the five matches he played in the CB tri-series also involving Sri Lanka.
Virender Sehwag was already the only Indian batsman to have scored a triple century in Test cricket before the first match of the three-Test series against South Africa at home in -March-April 2008. And, in the first match of the series in Chennai, Sehwag added to his reputation as he became only the third batsman after Sir Don Bradman and Brian Lara to make two triple-centuries in Test cricket. In fact, during the course of his 319 in Chennai, Sehwag also hit the quickest triple century in the history of Test cricket off only 278 balls. This knock showed Sehwag at his devastating best as he cut, drove, hooked and swept with precision and hardly played a wrong shot through out his innings. In short, it was an awesome display of power hitting.
And, though Sehwag didn't hit a half-century for the remainder of the series and had scores of 6, 17, 8 and 22 in the second and third Test matches at Ahmedabad and Kanpur respectively, his 319 in Chennai is going to be remembered as one of the greatest innings ever played in Test cricket.
Virender Sehwag was consistency personified and at his attacking best during the Asia Cup in Pakistan in -June-July 2008. Sehwag got his tournament off to a blazing start with a knock of 78 against minnows Hong Kong in Karachi, and followed this with scores of 119 and 49 (both against Pakistan) and 42 and 60 against Sri Lanka. And, it was Sehwag;s dismissal in the final that led to an Indian collapse as the Sri Lankans won the match and trophy. Sehwag scored 348 runs at an average of 69.60 in the Asia Cup to signal a return to form in the 50-overs format of the game as well.
Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were the only Indian batsmen to distinguish themselves during India's Test tour of Sri Lanka in July-August 2008 even as Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis regularly ran through the middle-order with clinical precision. And, while Sehwag didn't score half-centuries in either the first or the third match of the series, his double-century and half-century in the second Test at Galle laid the foundation for India's win in that match. In fact, with his 201 not out in Galle, Sehwag demonstarted that he has the maturity to temper his aggressive brand of batting and can also bat with the tail as he carried his bath through the innings.
Sehwag had scores of 201* and 50 in Galle, while in the first Test he had scores of 25 and 13 and in the third Test match in Colombo he made 21 and 34. However, Sehwag missed the one-day series that followed the Test match series with an ankle injury.
Though Virender Sehwag didn't score a century in the four- - Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series against Australia at home, he gave India solid starts at the top with Gautam Gambhir, and this was one of the main differentiators between the two teams, as the hosts regained the trophy after five years. Sehwag's aggressive batting also allowed Gambhir to pace his knocks in the series and also allowed the other Indian batsmen to play themselves in. The Nawab of Najafgarh had scores of 45, 6, 35, 90, 1, 16, 66 and 92 in the series for an aggregate of 351 runs at an average of 43.88.
Virender Sehwag continued his run-scoring form in the one-day series against England as he went on the rampage against a mediocre English bowling attack and sent the fielders on a leather hunt. Sehwag was in blazing form at the top of the order and hit four half-centuries in the five ODIs against England. Sehwag's run of scores in the series was: 85 in Rajkot, 1 in Indore, 68 in Kanpur, 69 in Bangalore and 91 in Cuttack for an aggregate of 314 runs at an average of 62.80.
Virender Sehwag's knock of 83 in the second innings of the first Test match against England in Chennai laid the foundation as India successfully chased the target of 387 to record the then highest fourth-highest run-chase in Test history. But, Sehwag didn't have a lot of success in the rest of the series as scores of 9, 0 and 17 indicate. Sehwag's match-winning knock of 83 in Chennai though would have made up for those other three disappointments to a certain extent. 2008 was certainly Sehwag's career and here is hoping that he goes on to achieve greater heights in the years to come.
:ty: Master.
Only Sehwag possible :notworthy:Quote:
Originally Posted by thamizhvaanan
:bow:
Sehwag and Dhoni in race for the 'Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year'
Virender Sehwag and Indian Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni fruitful season for India has led them for consideration for the top honours at the Castrol Awards for Cricketing Excellence.
Starting with the Asia Cup in June 2008, The 'Nawab of Najafgarh' Sehwag's performances firmly place him at the number 1 slot for the Castrol Awards for Cricketing Excellence, with 54 points. Close on his heels, with 50 points, is India's 'Captain Courageous' and new age poster boy, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose innovative and inspirational leadership helped India regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy by a convincing 2-0 margin.
Harbhajan Singh comes with 43 points at third position.The Delhi Duo of Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma are placed on the 4th spot with 41 points and 5th spot with 39 points respectively
The annual 'Castrol Award for Cricketing excellence' was instituted in 1997-98. The rating system takes into account performances by Indian cricketers in international matches during the calendar year. Previous recipients of the CASTROL INDIAN CRICKETER OF THE YEAR AWARD are:
* Sachin Tendulkar (1997-98, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2003-04 – shared) and * Rahul Dravid (1998-99, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04 – shared and 2004-05).
Early this year, Castrol also initiated the Castrol Asian Cricketer of the Year Award which was won by Sourav Ganguly.
http://www.wheelsunplugged.com/ViewN...px?newsid=2139
How Viru got his groove back
‘Patience Helped Me Rediscover Form Before Oz Tour’
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Pune: When explosive instincts met restraint, Virender Sehwag was reborn for Indian cricket. This was disclosed by the Indian vice-captain himself on the sidelines of a prize distribution function of a cricket tournament at Deccan Gymkhana here on Friday.
A year ago, Sehwag was not even among the 24 probables picked for the Australia tour. But the Delhi captain was informed about his inclusion in the final squad when he was captaining Delhi in a Ranji Trophy elite division match against Maharashtra at Nagothane (Raigad district).
What did the 30-year-old opener learn in this phase when he was not in the team for the Bangladesh and England tours and the home series against Pakistan? “I didn’t change my batting,” he said. “I changed my mindset. I defended a lot of balls. I showed patience. If you see my innings in Australia, you would notice that I was leaving a lot more balls (157 ‘dot’ balls during his 236-ball 151).”
And thus Sehwag learnt the art of leaving to find his form again.
Though he himself gave an example of patience, he wasn’t quite interested in giving his definition of what constitutes a safe shot. “Every ball is safe if I’m not playing any shot,” he quipped. “I have grown up playing attacking, positive cricket and I have continued using the same thinking and the same process.”
Simple thinking also helps in setting priorities better. Sehwag implied that Team India didn’t want to show unwanted bravado in the Mohali Test last week by declaring early and give England a chance to chase victory. “I don’t think we played negative cricket,” he said. “But winning the series was most important. Be it by any method.”
The series win gave India the No. 2 spot in the ICC Test rankings. “India will be No. 1 soon, there’s no doubt about that. And we are working hard on that,” said the swashbuckling batsman.
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:boo:
Malai da....ErI MaLai... :smokesmirk:
The ten finest ODI performances of 2008
Virender Sehwag’s amazing strike rate
http://sify.com/sports/cricket/image...llery=14824825
Virender Sehwag bats the same way be it Tests or ODIs or Twenty20. He enjoys a fearsome reputation in all forms of the game and during the year, he enhanced it further as the figures will readily confirm. In 18 ODIs, he scored 893 runs at an average approaching 50 with a hundred and eight half centuries. Not unexpectedly, he hit 121 fours and 22 sixes. But perhaps most astonishingly, the runs were hammered at a strike rate of 120 which was the highest among those who scored more than 300 runs.
Starting off with a modest record in the Commonwealth Bank Series `Down Under’, he struck form in the Asia Cup and wound up the year getting four half centuries in five matches against England. His 119 off 95 balls with 12 fours and five sixes against Pakistan in the Asia Cup match at Karachi was one of the most sparkling knocks seen during the year.
The ten finest ODI performances of 2008
Virender Sehwag’s 119 vs Pakistan, Asia Cup
Successfully chasing a target of 300 is not uncommon especially in the sub continent. But going after it in such a manner that victory is achieved with eight overs to spare is a stupendous achievement by any yardstick. This is what India accomplished in the Asia Cup day/night encounter against Pakistan at Karachi in June and it wasn’t a surprise that Virender Sehwag was the architect of the astonishing victory.
Batting first, Pakistan led off with 299 for four in 50 overs and the early dismissal of the in-form Gautam Gambhir put the Indians in a spot of bother. However, Sehwag and Suresh Raina got the Indians back on track with a second-wicket partnership of 198 runs in 24.4 overs.
The Pakistan attack manned by Umar Gal, Sohail Tanvir, Iftikhar Anjum and Shahid Afridi was more than respectable but Sehwag and Raina were in no mood to honour reputations. Their association put the Indians in a winning position before Raina departed after scoring 84 off 69 balls with ten fours and three sixes. Sehwag in the meantime had completed his ninth ODI hundred. By the time he was third out at 231 in the 31st over after hitting 119 off 95 balls with 12 fours and five sixes, the Indians were well on course for a comfortable victory.
http://sify.com/sports/cricket/image...llery=14824825
India's one-two punch
By Mike Holmans
The most striking thing to me about India’s performance in the pair of Tests against England was that they have finally solved their opening batsman problem.
From the time Sunil Gavaskar retired until very recently, opening India’s batting was as thankless as batting at three for England. Around the turn of the millennium, Indian opening batsmen were rather like Indian opening bowlers of the Seventies, mere hors d’oeuvres before the introduction of the Fab Four – spinners or batsmen, depending on decade.
Eventually Virender Sehwag, a promising middle order bat, realised that he could either wait seven years to get a chance in his preferred position or have a go at opening. For those raised on the cautious principles which Gavaskar followed as an opener, Sehwag was either a shock or an abomination, since caution was a concept entirely unknown to him.
It took some time for India to be happy with this; wise men would shake their heads and murmur about the need for solidity at the top of the order, but gradually his value came to be recognised.
That value is not so much in the runs he scores as in the fear he has implanted in every opposition. Sometimes he hardly disturbs them, sometimes he is but a few violent gusts, but he is as closely observed as the weather systems in the western Atlantic because of the danger that an unstoppable Hurricane Viru will lay waste to them. Until Sehwag is out, every captain and every bowling attack is on edge. Unless they get him quickly their nerves fray and their confidence saps, making life for those who follow him that much easier.
Even better, it allows his partner to play himself in unnoticed. Several batsmen were offered this opportunity, but until Gautam Gambhir came along, none had really made very much of it.
Gambhir looks to me to be the true heir of Sunil Gavaskar, a Gavaskar for the twenty-first century.
Batsmen are of their time. In the Seventies and Eighties, the adhesive caution which characterised Gavaskar or Boycott was highly esteemed. Spectators understood that although it was very dull to watch, this was how Test cricket was played.
A generation on, teams start every match trying to win it rather than insuring against loss, so more enterprise is required in opening batsmen. The great thing about Gambhir is that he seems perfectly equipped for today’s strategies.
21st-century engineering makes shifting gears in the Gambi much smoother than in the older Sunny. Today’s model effortlessly spots the bad ball on the wrong length from a pace bowler and walks down the track to caress it over long on for six, changing back down to low gear for the next ball without the passengers noticing a thing, while the earlier version tended to have to get into a particular gear and stay there for a period. One could wish for a little more elegance in the external styling, but the power unit and transmission have a silky flexibility usually absent from twentieth-century vehicles.
The next Indian middle order may not be up to the standard set by the Fab Four, but the new opening partnership is now the most fearsome in world cricket.
Sehwag may help India become No. 1 :smokesmirk:
Partha Bhaduri | TNN
It’s all but over for Australia as the No. 1 team and it’s down to India and South Africa to take over from them.
Virender Sehwag is one man who can play a huge role to help India win that berth. India’s advantage is at the top, with the Sehwag-Gambhir combo the most feared in the world. Both this year’s top runscorer (Graeme Smith) and top wicket-taker (Dale Steyn) are South Africans.
But the top-10 batting ranks are dominated also by Indians, and the two teams boast four players each who have scored above 1,000 runs in the calendar year.
It is in the bowling that India lag behind, and stats don’t tell the story of their dependency on Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma to prise out wickets. But like India’s premier spinner Harbhajan Singh and leggie Amit Mishra, these bowlers have strike rates way below their South African counterparts Steyn, Ntini, Morne Morkel and Paul Harris. They can bat better too, as the Australians found out at the MCG. Maybe Munaf Patel can lend occasional teeth to the attack.
For India, Rahul Dravid’s recent struggles and Yuvraj Singh’s unflattering Test record overseas would seem to give the edge to the South African middle-order of Amla, Kallis, De Villers, Duminy/Prince.
But India rate higher in the quality and pedigree of batsmanship — with Tendulkar and Laxman boasting records that are head and shoulders above those of all the South Africans except Kallis. India also have a higher-quality bench strength in batting, boasting players like Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, S Badrinath, M Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara.
Where they have suffered, though, is Irfan Pathan’s inability to revive his career, depriving the team of a quality allrounder in the mould of a Jacques Kallis. It’s a severe handicap considering Kallis’ utility in the SA side. South Africans have the edge in fielding too.
But success on the field often depends on intangibles, like mastery of conditions, a touch of genius or the ability to maintain self-belief against all odds. Here, India might just have the upper hand with Dhoni in command. Besides, they also have a South African coach in Gary Kirsten!
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Records
* Only Indian batsman to have scored two triple centuries in Test cricket. He is the third batsman in the history of Test cricket, to score two triple centuries (first two being Sir Donald Bradman and Brian Lara).
* Third fastest century in ODI cricket by an Indian - 100 runs off 69 balls against New Zealand in 2001
* Second fastest ODI 50 by an Indian - a record, he shares with Rahul Dravid, Kapil Dev and Yuvraj Singh - when he took 22 balls against Kenya in 2001
* Five double centuries - the first three of which came against Pakistan. Greg Chappell is the only other player to have scored multiple double centuries against Pakistan
* Highest score by an Indian batsman in Test cricket. He first achieved this when he scored 309 against Pakistan in Multan in 2004, and bettered his previous record in March 2008 at Chennai against South Africa by scoring 319.
* Fastest triple century: His second triple century scored at Chennai on 27-28 March 2008 against South Africa was the fastest in terms of balls faced by any batsman (off 278 balls).
* Consecutive 150+ scores in Test cricket: He holds the record for consecutive test hundreds converted to scores of 150+, at 11.
* Two consecutive double century partnerships in a Test innings. He achieved this record, for the first two wickets in Chennai on 27-28 March 2008 (with Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid respectively). This was the first time in Test history that the first two wickets in an innings have resulted in double-century stands.
* He is the first person in the history of test cricket to hit two triple century and take five wickets in test match.