Widely regarding as one of the best openers of India after the great Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag was responsible for the paradigm shift in the way openers approached an innings in Test cricket is concerned. Sehwag was one of those who challenged cricket’s definition of an idea Test opener by taking on the fast bowlers in the first over of the Test match and surprised many with the success he achieved at the highest level. Touching that same point, former India batsman and Sehwag’s former teammate VVS Laxman, lauded the former India opener.
Laxman in his series of lauding the great cricketers he has played with, picked Sehwag on Friday after heaping praise on Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, and Javagal Srinath.
Referring Sehwag as one of the ‘most destructive openers in Test history’, Laxman lauded the Delhi cricketer’s self belief and positivity.
“Cocking a snook at those who questioned his pedigree against high-quality fast bowling, Virender Sehwag went on to establish himself as one of the most destructive openers in Test history. Viru’s immense self-belief and positivity was as mind-boggling as it was infectious,” Laxman said in a tweet.
Cocking a snook at those who questioned his pedigree against high-quality fast bowling, @virendersehwag went on to establish himself as one of the most destructive openers in Test history. Viru’s immense self-belief and positivity was as mind-boggling as it was infectious. pic.twitter.com/BDOGoSV0FN
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) June 5, 2020
Sehwag represented India in 104 Tests, 251 ODIs and 19 T20Is in which he scored 8586, 8273 and 394 runs respectively. Sehwag, who started as a middle-order batsman, was the first Indian to score a triple ton in Test cricket when he achieved the milestone against Pakistan at Multan in 2004.
Sehwag went on to score another triple century at Channai against South Africa in 2008.
During India’s tour of Pakistan in 2006, Sehwag combined with Rahul Dravid to score a phenomenal 254 on the way to a 410-run partnership, just falling short of the record for the highest first-wicket stand set by Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy almost 50 years ago.
Sehwag jointly held the record for scoring most double hundreds for India in Tests along with Sachin Tendulkar until October last year before current India captain Virat Kohli went past it by scoring his 7th double century.
Sehwag was also the second batsman in world to score an ODI double hundred after Sachin Tendulkar. He had 219 in an ODI against the West Indies in Indore in 2011, which was only the second ODI double-hundred at the time, and the highest ever score in ODIs until current India opener Rohit Sharma blazed past it during his epic 264 in late 2014 against Sri Lanka.
