10 of Virender Sehwag's most underrated knocks

Arguably one of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball that one has ever seen, Virender Sehwag has finally hung his boots after a career with several moments to cherish. Sehwag has played so many great knocks for Team India throughout his career that it is extremely difficult to remember all of them.Everyone knows Viru for his mammoth double and triple centuries, but there are some gems in his collection which we often seem to overlook. Its time we take a look at some of the most underrated yet great innings played by the Delhi ace.

#10 55 vs Kenya at Paarl

This knock came when Virender Sehwag had just started to find his footing in international cricket. There was nothing special about the opposition and the memories Indian fans will have of it is more to do with Tendulkar and Gangulys world record opening stand.

But Sehwags trailblazing 55 off 23 balls was a proof of his unmatched talent and his hunger to dominate the opposition. It helped India post a mammoth 351 which eventually was more than enough for them to qualify for the final.

#9 68 vs England at Durban

This match from the inaugural T20 World Cup is remembered mainly because of Yuvraj Singhs 6 sixes. But not many would remember the back end job done the openers, particularly Sehwag, which set up the platform for someone like a Yuvraj to capitalise on.

There was nothing too flashy about the knock yet Viru managed 3 sixes in his busy 68 off 52 balls. It showed that he can play the support role well too.

#8 110 vs New Zealand at Dambulla

A highlight of Virender Sehwags legendary career has been the consummate ease with which he has adapted at times to some treacherous bowler-friendly pitches. This was one such instance for the marauder from Delhi.

On a pitch where no player apart from Kiwi bowler Kyle Mills could even manage a fifty, Sehwag trounced the opposition with 110 off just 93 balls propelling the Indian total to 223. Now that speaks volumes of the mans calibre and tells us what he meant to Indian cricket.

#7 201 vs Sri Lanka at Galle

This is one Sehwag double that makes it to this list as it is one of his less popular ones, yet it was a masterclass like no other. Two things made it special – firstly it helped India recover from an innings defeat in the previous Test and secondly Viru managed to crack the Mendis mystery.

India scored 329 in the first innings, 201 of which (61%) came from the willow of Sehwag alone. This knock inspired Team India to inflict a heavy defeat over the hosts by a margin of 170 runs.

#6 95* vs Mumbai Indians in Delhi

This knock from Virender Sehwag in the IPL showed us precisely why he was such a priceless asset for the T20 format. Moreover, it came against the team represented by his idol Sachin Tendulkar.

Mumbai Indians had posted a very decent 161 on the board thanks to enterprising fifties from Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma. But the problem for them was that Sehwag did not want to stick around for too long. He unleashed a brutal 95 off just 57 balls and ensured that his team, Delhi Daredevils, crossed the line in just 17 overs.

#5 151 vs Australia at Adelaide

This was certainly by no means Virender Sehwags most prolific innings, but it showed the worldthe fighter inside him who refuses to ever give up. After a lean patch which lasted for more than a year, Sehwag hit back at his detractors by scoring a gutsy 151 against the Australians in the final Test of the 2007/08 Border-Gavaskar trophy.

It can easily be rated as his most laborious innings of all as it came at a strike rate of 63.98 which is way below his career strike rate of 82.23.

#4 100 vs New Zealand at SSC Colombo

The cricketing world got a true taste of the real Virender Sehwag with this innings. It was his maiden century in One Day International cricket and Sehwag got exactly 100 off a mere 69deliveries.

Team India were in a tight corner in the 2001 Coca Cola Cup triangular series played in Sri Lanka and desperately needed to thrash the Kiwis in order to reach the final. And thrash they did, all courtesy of a blinder from the blade of Virender Sehwag.

After his innings, opposition captain Stephen Fleming was forced to acknowledge that Just one guy took it away from us.

#3 106 vs England at Trent Bridge

It was a series to remember for many reasons for Team India, one of them being Virender Sehwags unlikely promotion as Test opener. This knock was special particularly because it was his first while opening the batting,also keeping in mind a fresh pitch supported by overcast weather ideal for the English swing bowlers.

India had lost the wickets of Jaffer and Dravid early and were struggling at 34 for 2. Sehwag forged a 74 run partnership with new man Sachin Tendulkar before the latter got out for 34 and followed it up with another 71 run stand with skipper Sourav Ganguly, completing his century in the process. He eventually fell for 106 but not before he had taken India to a respectable 179 for 4.

#2 112 vs New Zealand at Auckland

In an otherwise forgettable series that India lost by a 5-2 margin, Virender Sehwag was the lone shining star with 2 hundreds in conditions that were certainly not batting-friendly. India had already conceded an unassailable 4-1 lead to the Kiwis in the 7 match series.

In the penultimate game, India managed to keep the New Zealand score down to 199 and were looking for a victory to keep the morale of the team up. Even as wickets kept tumbling, Sehwag carried on in his usual nonchalant way hammering 112 with 3 sixes and 11 fours. When Shwag finally got out, India were just 18 runs short of an unlikely win.

#1 83 vs England at the Chepauk

After being set 387 for victory just 2 hours before the end of the 4thdays play in the first Test of the 2008 series against England, no one including even those in the Indian dressing room,were giving India much of a chance; no one apart from a Virender Sehwag.

What was supposed to be survival for Team India was transformed into a victory charge within a couple of hours of Sehwag mania. He butchered 83 from just 68 balls as he tore into the English attack and by the time he was finished, India were left with another 270 to get with just about more than a days play to go which they managed courtesy a Tendulkar ton.