Virender Sehwag’s contribution to Indian cricket is iconic. He transformed the art of batting in Test cricket, making big hundreds look easy and launching sixes with audacity. With a 15-year career that revolutionized India’s approach to the game, Sehwag became India’s greatest Test opener after Sunil Gavaskar. His fearless batting mindset helped India thrive, especially under Sourav Ganguly’s leadership. Sehwag’s two triple centuries in Tests remain unmatched, as he broke away from the defensive batting culture that once defined Indian cricket.
Long before Rishabh Pant’s reverse sweeps and Brendon McCullum’s Bazball, Sehwag was hitting sixes in the last over before lunch or tea. He changed the way the world viewed Test cricket.
But even Sehwag, who seemed untouchable on the field, had his fair share of humbling moments.
The Bold Claim That Backfired
Fast forward to 2004, a year after Sehwag and India had enjoyed a memorable tour of Pakistan, winning both the ODI and Test series. Indian cricket was on a high, having reached the 2003 World Cup final and won the NatWest 2002 series. Yet, Sehwag’s bold claim ahead of the Asia Cup would soon come back to bite him.
In a moment of cocky confidence, Sehwag declared,
“If I stay at the crease for 50 overs, I can score a double-century. In fact, a lot of batsmen can do it provided they bat the full 50 overs. It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible.”
With the Asia Cup on the horizon, Sehwag’s prediction seemed a bit premature. Little did he know, this boast would come to haunt him.
The Brutal Reality Check
What followed was a string of underwhelming performances. Sehwag’s scores in the 2004 Asia Cup were as follows: 0, 37, 16, 1, 81, 5. India lost to Sri Lanka by 25 runs in the final. The once-dominant batsman had hit a slump, and it marked the beginning of a tough patch. That year, Sehwag only managed 671 ODI runs from 26 innings, his worst-ever return. His claim of a double-century now seemed far-fetched.
John Wright’s Wise Words
John Wright, the head coach at the time, offered his perspective on the incident. He noted how Sehwag’s cocky remark was a reminder of how cricket can humble even the best.
“When we regrouped in 2004, it felt like a post-World Cup hangover, but worse. After the success in Pakistan, the team was hailed as India’s best-ever, and the atmosphere had become rarified. There was a bit of swagger in the media, with Sehwag claiming he could score 200 in an ODI if he batted for 50 overs. But cricket has a way of bringing you back down to earth. As my old Derbyshire captain Eddie Barlow used to say: ‘If you take the piss out of cricket, cricket will take the piss out of you.’ Sehwag’s first 13 ODIs that season? He only managed one fifty.”
The Lesson Learned
Sehwag’s claim may have been cocky, but it was the subsequent failure that taught him a valuable lesson. Cricket, as Wright wisely put it, doesn’t take kindly to arrogance. It’s a sport that demands humility, and Sehwag’s story is a perfect example of how quickly the game can humble even the most confident players.
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