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It is a Sehwag blitzkrieg at Chepauk

Nandita Sridhar

Posts fastest triple hundred in the history of Tests

— Photo: K. Pichumani

Pat from the master: Virender Sehwag being congratulated by Sachin Tendulkar at the end of the third day’s play.

Chennai: Watching Virender Sehwag bat is an experience. You’re awed at the ease of it all, thrilled at his risks being rewarded, yet afraid it would all be taken away in a moment of still-footed indiscretion. On Friday at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Sehwag’s batting was an exercise of momentous joy.

He batted for the moment, giving each ball the treatment it deserved, for an unbeaten 309 on day three. He equalled his record set at Multan.

Audacious

Stroke after stroke unfolded, each more audacious and authoritative than its predecessor. There’s no perfect label for this, because it’s unfinished and so full of promise. The fastest 300 in Test history put him in the company of Sir Don Bradman and Brian Lara, for two 300 plus scores. The frenzied rate took India to 468 for one at the end of the day.

With Virender Sehwag, such an innings opens itself for an endless debate on batsmanship. There comes the need to define him, and what his batting is built on.

Terming him laidback, and solely instinctive is too easy, unfairly bringing it all down to fortune. Laidback doesn’t fetch you 14 centuries; neither does instinct help you deal with Australia in Melbourne or South Africa at Bloemfontein.

Sehwag backs his technique, which often escapes notice. Being enormously gifted with a superlative hand-eye co-ordination gives him time and range.

An important part of it is instinct, but there is also a commitment to justify his shot selection with unhesitant execution. On such a wicket with no treacherous movement his execution made it seem chanceless.

Watching his shadow-strokes between overs were a delight, for you knew they would be replicated with the same confidence. His last ten hundreds have been 150-plus knocks, which says something of his conversion rate. Possibly one of the reasons Sehwag’s hundreds evolve into colossuses is the remarkable evenness of mind.

At 193, when most others would’ve struggled to dispel doubt, he hoicked Ntini over long-leg for maximum. At 291, when most would’ve mistrusted fortune, he despatched an irritant in Paul Harris straight for the same result. Crucially, he scores at a frenzied rate, giving crease occupation a whole new meaning.

Hectic batting

There were signs of hectic batting on a hot Friday morning. The defensive blocks were only to appease the thousands in attendance, who had yet to get used to the pace. Makhaya Ntini was despatched through mid-wicket.

Dale Steyn’s pace was just right for the ball to do his bidding. The first outbreak of audacity happened in his nineties, when Kallis was hit over mid-wicket. The hundred was reached by clearing mid-off.

Ntini and left-arm spinner Paul Harris were singled out for mistreatment after lunch. Paul Harris tried curtailing Sehwag with the leg-stump line, brought to infamy by Ashley Giles. The tactic lasted a few overs, leaving Sehwag in an awkward jostle for room.

Thereafter, he put an end to the parody for left-arm spin, with the inside-out shot and the reverse-sweep. Atoning for his folly, Harris bowled straight to Sehwag’s comfort zone only to concede boundaries. He paddle-swept, cut and drove as an obligatory torture through all means. Ntini’s good length delivery was discarded with utmost disdain. With the double hundred done with, he steered Ntini for a boundary through mid-on and strode off for tea, bored with the utter ease of it all. Morne Morkel managed some bounce, but failed to back it with line. So distressed were the South Africans with Sehwag, that it took little time for Graeme Smith to dispense with a slip.

Captains usually persist with a slip for Sehwag since he always offers a chance, but not this time. That was the sign of a team bleeding. The unbeaten 309 took 292 balls.

What went unnoticed were two half-centuries by Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid. Both were involved in double-hundred partnerships, witnessing batting at its brutal best. Jaffer had little trouble scoring, with his trademark ease making for a remarkable first session. He relied largely on momentum, which was an easy acquisition on this wicket. The cover-drives competed with Sehwag’s.

Smith spoiled the fun by plugging the cover region and getting Harris to restrict scoring. Jaffer played one drive too many, with not enough time to find the required grace. Kallis at first slip ensured Harris’s uninventive methods bore fruit.

Rahul Dravid then proceeded to do what Rahul Dravid does. A brace of wickets then might have — and one is merely guessing here — troubled Sehwag. He ensured Sehwag had the sole hand at entertainment, and anchored to the side’s content.

Sehwag had the comfort of a non-striker in Dravid for his innings, but one wonders if anything would have held him back from batting the way he did.

SCOREBOARD South Africa — first innings: 540.

India — first innings: W. Jaffer c Kallis b Harris 73, V. Sehwag (batting) 309, R. Dravid (batting) 65, Extras (lb-8, w-2, nb-3, b-8): 21; Total (for one wkt. in 106 overs): 468.

Fall of wicket: 1-213 (Wasim Jaffer).

South Africa bowling: Steyn 19-1-79-0, Ntini 18-2-99-0, Morkel 18-3-56-0, Harris 36-3-141-1, Kallis 12-0-61-0, Prince 3-0-16-0.

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