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‘No one can match his impact in Test cricket’: Gautam Gambhir’s massive praise for India batting great

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Byhindustantimes.com
Jul 27, 2020 02:29 PM IST

Virender Sehwag found equal, perhaps even more success in Test cricket than in limited-overs cricket. This is why his former opening partner Gautam Gambhir believes that no other player can have an impact like Sehwag in the longest format.

The reason why Virender Sehwag was regarded as one of the most destructive openers of his time was because of his ability to stick to his style of play from the first ball itself. It rarely mattered which format of the match Sehwag is playing. It did not matter which bowler is in front of Sehwag. It did not matter what situation India was under. Sehwag would come out to the middle, and start hammering bowlers for boundaries with ease rarely seen on a cricket pitch.

Perhaps this is why Sehwag went on to pair up with some of the big names of the sport at the top - including Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, and in some games, even Rahul Dravid. Sehwag managed to find success with them all, as he rarely shied away from playing his own game.

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Sehwag became the 2nd Indian to score a double hundred in the ODIs. Sehwag also became the first person to get a triple ton for India in Tests. He is also only the fourth person to score more than one triple Test ton - only after Sir Don Bradman, Brian Lara and Chris Gayle.

Looking at his style of play, many would think that Sehwag would be a great limited-overs cricket of his time. But in fact, Sehwag managed to find equal, perhaps even more success in Test cricket. This is why his former opening partner Gambhir believes that no other player can have an impact like Sehwag in the longest format.

“No one can match Sehwag’s impact in Tests. No one actually thought he could be such a successful Test opener. People always thought he was always going to be a much more successful white-ball cricketer. But if you look at his records, he is far more successful in red-ball cricket. And that is Virender Sehwag for you,” Gambhir said on the latest episode of Star Sports’ Cricket Connected chat show.

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Gambhir went on to recall the 2008 Chennai Test in England where Sehwag scored 83 runs in the 2nd innings on a turning pitch to help India won the match. “I remember one inning which was played in Chennai when we won the Test match against England. We were chasing around 350-odd (387, actually) on a turner, where they had Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, and Virender Sehwag got 60-odd runs (Sehwag had scored 83).

“Just by scoring 60 (83 actually), if you can become man of the match, that shows the impact of the person,” Gambhir said.

“And, just setting up the game, if Virender Sehwag bats till Lunch, you will be at around 100. Not a lot of team approach Test cricket like that, when you are batting on Day 1, you want to be as loose as you can. But Virender Sehwag was absolutely differnet. So that’s why anyone can match his impact in Test cricket,” Gambhir further explained.

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