Sehwag--Enjoying the most consistent form of his career

___________________Was it a mistake to bowl him not at off-stump?

So we are hearing a lot about Virender Sehwag these days. New zealand captain Vettori was 'fearful' of sehwag in the current ODI series. Well, he got reasons to be. Sehwag is capable of ripping apart any bowling attack of the world,and the worst for the opponents, he is in such a tremendous form. By that,I mean he is lucky at a couple of occasions. He isn't missing outside-offstump balls,he isn't driving in the air.

New zealand has been 'home' for sehwag. He was the only successful batsman in India's last disastrous tour of new zealand. The bowling side of NZ was anxious. It's not a phony appreciation, they really were nervous. The bowlers seem to be bowling to a plan, the fields are in place, but something goes wrong against Sehwag. "That's what destructive batsmen do," Daniel Vettori said after the second ODI. "They put people off their game plans. I wouldn't say intimidated, but you are fearful of what's going to come next. You are never sure what he is going to do, he is that good a player that he can hit all around the park."


In last 12 months, he played 22 ODI matches,made 1280 runs with average of 60.95 , in contrast with his career ODI average of 34.33. His strike rate is 131.95 in last 12 months. You can see how explosive he has been recently.Sehwag's batting philosophy comes through from one of his old advertisements, where he professes, "The ball is supposed to live outside the boundary, send it there." It is a simple thought that he goes about implementing in his own inimitable way. Just like he hits what he sees, he tells what he sees.

He spoke what he saw after the 4th match, and it didn't sound boisterous. He spoke plain facts. You indeed felt sorry for the bowlers (except that they watched the spectacle from the best seat). They were indeed helpless and they didn't know any effective way of bowling to him. On some days you just can't do anything, except live with it.

New Zealand were almost desperate to win the toss and bat in order to avoid the pressure Sehwag puts them under right away. It is Sehwag's unpredictability and unconventional batting that they feared most. Vettori made an interesting comparison between tackling Sehwag and Chris Gayle. "I suppose with Gayle we have got a feel of where he is going to hit and have more opportunities to block him out," Vettori said. "With Sehwag, he has got so many quality players around him, so that gives him a sort of licence. It's not in just one area we can block with Sehwag, we have seen him hit in a lot of areas. He is a great player, and with great players the best-laid plans can go awry. I suppose the guys run in and maybe second-guess what's going to happen. We have got to tell ourselves that we have got to bowl in our area, and if we get hit from there we can live with that."

Let's hope his form continues,he may break Lara's record of 400 runs in a test innings. It isn't crazy to imagine that he might score 500 runs. :-)

Go Viru!