On this day: Virender Sehwag’s special against Pakistan
Each time the two subcontinent powerhouses took to the field, a huge amount of delirium spawned among the fans. It was not only about the competition on-field, but a host of other facets also prevailed as World cricket's two most followed teams faced off against each other.
India came out on top after a competitive ODI series against Pakistan; the visitors edged out the arch-rivals 3-0 in a hard-fought series. Ahead of the 1st Test, India were looking to continue the victorious run in the longest format of the game.
The Rise of Nawab of Najafgarh
Indian skipper Rahul Dravid won the toss, opting to bat first. India decided to pile up a mountainous total on a ground which is traditionally known as a batsman's paradise.
However, Virender Sehwag did the inevitable. The get-go approach of Virender Sehwag paid dividends as he brought up his fifty just before lunch. The wondrous attack continued as he pulverized Pakistan's helpless bowling unit; bringing up his hundred in just 107 balls.
He didn't show any signs of slowing down, giving the bowlers no respite. Pakistan's bowling quartet - Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mohammed Sami and Abdul Razzaq were helpless against Sehwag’s sheer brilliance.
Sehwag finished Day 1 with an unbeaten score of 221 runs - breaking Sanjay Manjrekar's record of highest runs scored against Pakistan by an Indian batsman.
On 29th March 2004, Virender Sehwag obliterated records at the Multan Cricket Stadium with his incessant hits. Sehwag batted for an equivalent of two days and made the famed Pakistan bowling lineup toil hard in the scorching Multan heat.
The Sachin-Viru liaison came into great effect as they stitched together a 335-run record partnership. While the latter went berserk with a few hefty blows, Sachin played a perfect foil at the other end. Sehwag rewrote history at Multan in his signature fashion when he plundered a six over long-on off Saqlain Mushtaq's delivery, the crowd and the Indian dressing room were on their feet to applaud the historic strike. He became the first Indian batsman to have scored a triple century.
In 2001, VVS Laxman's famous 281 at the Eden Gardens was the highest individual score by an Indian batsman in Test cricket. The Delhi batsman broke the 3-year-old knock my scoring 309 runs against Pakistan
The 530-minute stay at the crease laced with 39 boundaries and 6 gigantic sixes provided a glimpse of his adroitness with the bat and a hint of the things to come in the near future. Sehwag's monumental knock provided a prototype in the shift of batting approach in the longest format of the game. Since then, The Nawab of Najafgarh orchestrated innumerable knocks which single-handedly guided India to victory.
Thanks to the superlative efforts from Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble, Pakistan took a beating after enduring an innings defeat. The manner in which the series was played was very interesting despite an increasing strain in the relationship between the two countries. Before the series, the then-elected Indian PM, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had remarked famously: "Don't only win matches, but also win their hearts."- India's performance in the next two months was an expansion of the prime minister's words.
5 years on after his retirement, Virender Sehwag is still seen scoring boundaries and sixes across social media.
NEXT
