A century on debut: 4 Indian legends Prithvi Shaw would look to emulate

#2 Virender Sehwag

Sehwag - The Master Blaster

Tests – 104- Innings-180- Runs -8586 Avg – 49- 100s-17- 200s- 4, 300s -2, 50s- 32

Virender Sehwag scored his debut hundred against South Africa in 2001. He came in as a middle-order batsman and shared a 220-run partnership with his idol Sachin Tendulkar for the 5th wicket.

Sehwag first came into the one day team as a middle-order batsman who could bowl a little bit of off-spin. He simultaneously made his Test debut as a middle-order batsman and scored a hundred on debut against South Africa in South Africa.

It was Ganguly who changed Sehwag’s career by promoting him as an opener in his 15th one day international at Colombo against New Zealand in 2001. Before that, in the 14 one day matches, Sehwag has scored just 169 runs. Then came the 15th one-day innings when he smashed a hundred off just 70 balls. That was the turning point of Sehwag’s career.

That one day hundred prompted Ganguly to promote Sehwag to the top of the order in Test matches too. To Sehwag’s credit, he readily accepted the challenge and went on to become one of the best Test opening batsmen India has ever produced. In Test matches, only the legendary Sunil Gavaskar is ahead of him. A remarkable achievement by a player who started his career as a middle-order batsman.

More than the number of runs scored, it was the ease in which Sehwag scored all those runs was the highlight of his batting. Sehwag has a superb hand-eye coordination and his motto was quite simple-see the ball, hit the ball. Sehwag possessed an uncluttered mind and even if he was badly beaten the previous ball, he would simply forget it and try to hit the next ball into orbit. In a number of innings that Sehwag has played, the spectators and the commentators were left wondering whether they were watching the live action or a fast forward highlight.

Sehwag’s unique records

# First and only Indian to score a triple hundred in Test Cricket.

# Only the fourth player to score 2 triple hundreds in Test cricket

# Only player to reach a triple hundred with a six.

# Has scored the fastest triple hundred in Test cricket against South Africa off just 278 balls.

# Sehwag scored 219 in his first one day international as captain.

Sehwag’s biggest achievement was that he has created the fear of God in the minds of bowlers. He was a match winner who could take the game away from the opposition in the blink of an eye. Sehwag is a true legend of Indian cricket.

Prithvi Shaw, like the great Sehwag, is an opening batsman. From the look of things, Shaw seems to be an aggressive batsman like Sehwag. It would be a great achievement if Prithvi Shaw would be able to match half of Sehwag’s striking abilities. Big shoes to fill in but the best master to pursue.