Such intimidation, ferocity, fearlessness and arrogance coupled with exceptionally gifted ability and talent describes modern era's 2 most destructive batsmen - Sir Vivian Richards and Virender Sehwag.
Greg Thomas, a former English player was bowling to Viv Richards in a county game. Viv missed a superb outswinger and Thomas said "It's red, round and weighs about 5 ounces." Next ball Viv hits Greg Thomas out of the ground and replies, "Greg, you know what it looks like. Go ahead and find it." That pretty much sums it up for the man who redefined the meaning of swagger!
They were calling for his removal - from former players to partisan journalists, from leading experts to the 'breaking news' channels. He silenced them all and did he do it in style! A magnificent century under pressure off just 90 balls with some breathtaking hits to the fence coupled with a solid technique and defense - Virender Sehwag is back and back with a bang!
His 117 off 117 deliveries against England on Day 1 at the Motera laid the basis for a huge Indian total and gave other copybook and classical batsman like Cheteshwar Pujara time to build their innings, leading to a memorable Indian win. The knock epitomises what Vivian Richards once said of Tendulkar "Form is temporary, Class is permanent!". This innings was indeed a very special one as it not only has the potential to mark a renaissance change to Sehwag's career, which had been a patch (especially in the last 2 yrs) of his glorious past but also tells the world of the special talent this man possesses. On a pitch, where scoring was difficult and where every Indian batsmen including the double centurion Cheteshwar Pujara struggled to keep the scoring rate above 3 per over, Sehwag batted with ease and treated the bowling with disdain. Such is the ability of this enigmatic batsman who would be playing in his 100th Test when he takes the field against England in Mumbai from the 23rd of November.
Comparison in Tests
Sehwag in Tests
| Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99 | 172 | 6 | 8448 | 319 | 50.89 | 10246 | 82.45 | 23 | 32 | 15 |
Sehwag's Test record is astonishing, with a great average and an unbelievable strike rate - the best in the list below, much higher than even the likes of Don Bradman, Gary Sobers and Viv Richards and even eclipsing the great Australian keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist. In fact, he has the best average*strike rate statistic amongst all batsmen (except the Don for whom the average is the dominating statistic) and though strike-rates can't be given the same weightage as their significance in the shorter formats, their increasing relevance to how modern day Test cricket is played is paramount.
| Player | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | Average*StrikeRate/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Gilchrist | 5570 | 47.6 | 81.95 | 39 |
| Virender Sehwag | 8448 | 50.89 | 82.45 | 41.96 |
| IVA Richards | 8540 | 50.23 | 69.28 | 34.79 |
| Kevin Pietersen | 7095 | 48.93 | 63.17 | 30.91 |
| Brian Lara | 11953 | 52.88 | 60.51 | 31.99 |
| Mathew Hayden | 8625 | 50.73 | 60.1 | 30.48 |
| Ricky Ponting | 13346 | 52.54 | 58.75 | 31.76 |
| Don Bradman | 6996 | 99.94 | 58.61 | 58.57 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 15546 | 54.93 | 54.04 | 30.79 |
| Inzamam-Ul-Haq | 8830 | 49.6 | 54.02 | 26.79 |
| Garry Sobers | 8032 | 57.78 | 53.91 | 31.14 |
A lot of people classify Chris Gayle's destructive abilities in the same league as Sehwag's. The table below clearly shows that Sehwag has even left the swashbuckling West-Indian far behind:
| Tests | ODIs | T20s | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sehwag | 82.45 | 104.6 | 145.38 |
| Gayle | 59.47 | 84.45 | 145.25 |
Sehwag has re-defined Test match opening and completely revolutionized the way the game is approached. The opposition fears his presence at the crease. He commands respect amongst one and all. He has done brilliantly against most teams and in particular, been very severe on Pakistan with an average of 91.14 and strike rate of 80.20 with 4 centuries.
He is widely regarded as the best and the most dominating batsmen of spin bowling to have ever played the game (along with Lara). He averages 72.88 against the Lankans with a mind boggling strike rate of 99.83 including 5 centuries.
He made his Test debut in 2001 against South Africa at Bloemfontein, though not as an opener. Batting at No. 6, he scored a fantastic 105 and never looked back since then. He was essentially a middle-order batsman who was asked to open the innings - a fact which makes his Test record even more special.
His 195 against Australia in Melbourne in 2003/04 is regarded as one of his finest knocks.
He scored 3 centuries in 2004 including his maiden triple ton against Pakistan at Multan against the trio of Akhtar, Sami and Saqlain. He was on 295 and Tendulkar had warned him against attempting a risky shot or he would smack him on his back, but as the little master himself admitted-'Sehwag hears but never listens!' He heaved Saqlain Mushtaq, arguably the greatest spinner of that time for a six - what guts, what bravado! He earned himself the nickname- Sultan of Multan (much to Inzi's displeasure). Of course, Viru had a sore bottom the next morning! He massacred them again on the 2006 tour with a double century at Lahore scored at quicker than a run a ball.
Leading cricket stalwarts have been intrigued by the mystery behind this man's 'casual' and 'lazy' technique. He himself is not too fussy about it. He has the ability to switch himself off completely from the moment, has excellent hand-eye coordination and incredible ball sense. Coupled with that a good head on the shoulders, a cool, calm and collected disposition and he has mesmerized top attacks all over the world. He is one of the most feared and ruthless batsmen in Test cricket history.
The freedom with which he plays, the uncomplicated style make him a marvel to watch and admire. His open side-on stance enables him to play his favourite shot - the square cut above point and gully. He does not fear hitting the ball in the air, but the risks are calculated and methodical. Captains have often tried to set defensive fields against him by placing a sweeper at the point boundary and at third man from the very first ball of the match. Viru's reply - he square cuts over their heads into the stands. Such is his paranormal ability. For someone who is considered unorthodox and a bit of a maverick, who scores at such a high rate with that average, his consistency is absolutely remarkable and this makes him perhaps the greatest Test opener to have ever played the game (over Sunil Gavaskar, Gordon Greenidge, Jack Hobbs, Matthew Hayden and Len Hutton). Sehwag is the amongst the 4 players in the Test cricket history to have scaled 300 or more twice (along with Lara, Bradman and Gayle).
His second triple ton-319 off 278 balls against South Africa against the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel at Chennai in 2008 is the fastest (in terms of deliveries) triple century recorded.
He scored a brilliant and fierce 83 off just 68 balls in the last session of the fourth day in the 2008 Chennai Test against England to set up an emphatic run-chase of 387/4, the highest successful chase on Indian soil.
The Nawab of Najafgarh had a brilliant 2 years till 2009. He averaged an astonishing 70.11 in 2009 with a strike rate of 108.98, including a mesmerising 293 off 254 balls against Sri Lanka in Mumbai (the 2nd fastest double century after Nathan Astle) and in 2011 he hit a scorching 165 off 174 balls against the Proteas at Eden Gardens. Both resulted in an innings victory for the home team. He was rewarded with the coveted Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World award, twice, consecutively in 2008 and 2009 - the only player to have received the honour more than once since its inception in 2003.
| Player | Runs | Start | Finish | Team | Opposition | Ground | Match Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DG Bradman | 309 | 0 | 309* | Australia | v England | Leeds | 07/11/30 |
| WR Hammond | 295 | 41* | 336 | England | v New Zealand | Auckland | 03/31/33 |
| V Sehwag | 284 | 0 | 284* | India | v Sri Lanka | Mumbai (BS) | 12/02/09 |
| DCS Compton | 273 | 5* | 278 | England | v Pakistan | Nottingham | 07/01/54 |
| DG Bradman | 271 | 0 | 271* | Australia | v England | Leeds | 07/20/34 |
| V Sehwag | 257 | 52* | 309* | India | v South Africa | Chennai | 03/26/08 |
| DG Bradman | 244 | 0 | 244 | Australia | v England | The Oval | 08/18/34 |
| FMM Worrell | 239 | 0 | 239* | West Indies | v England | Nottingham | 07/20/50 |
| HH Gibbs | 228 | 0 | 228 | South Africa | v Pakistan | Cape Town | 01/02/03 |
| V Sehwag | 228 | 0 | 228* | India | v Pakistan | Multan | 03/28/04 |
His devastation on all bowling attacks can be seen from the figures in the above table where he features 3 times (only tied with the Don) in the top 10 innings for the most number of runs scored in a day. Also, he has scored more than 100 runs in a session on 3 occasions.
Ian Chappell sums it up nicely when he says 'Sehwag can change the course of a match with the ease of Moses parting the Red Sea', predicting an assault of Biblical proportions before the start of a Sehwag innings.
Richards in Tests
| Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 | O |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | 182 | 12 | 8540 | 291 | 50.23 | 24 | 45 | 10 |
Richards is undoubtedly the most aggressive and successful player against fast bowling to have ever played the game. Charismatic, flamboyant, controversial and brutal, he had a particular liking for their colonial rulers and scored 8 centuries at an average of 62.36 against England.
His favourite shot was to move to the off-side and then half-flick and half-pull the ball over mid wicket and deep square leg. He never wore a helmet or any sort of protection on the head throughout his career, during an era when the best fast bowlers were in their prime - sheer arrogance and a mark of defiance against tradition! He also fancied playing against the Indian spinners and averaged 50.71 with 8 centuries against India.
1976 was Richards' finest year - he scored 1710 runs, at an astonishing average of 90.00, with seven centuries in 11 Tests. This achievement is truly remarkable considering he missed the second Test at Lords after contracting glandular fever; yet he returned to score his career-best 291 at The Oval against the likes of Willis and Underwood, later in the summer. This tally stood as the world record for most Test runs by a batsman in a single calendar year for 30 years until broken by Mohammad Yousuf on November 30, 2006.
David Acfield, a first class cricketer who played for Essex sums it up when he says, 'If I glared at Viv Richards, he'd just hit me even further.'
No innings epitomizes this statement better than the blitzkrieg century he scored against England in just 56 balls at his home ground at St Johns in Antigua in 1986. This remains the fastest Test century (with respect to the no. of balls faced) ever recorded.
One of his most outstanding knocks was against India in the 1st Test in Delhi on the 1987 tour. After folding for 75 by Patterson and Davis, India fought back with good performances from Kapil Dev and Chetan Sharma to restrict West-Indies to 127. A resounding century by the Colonel, Vengsarkar, helped India to post a very healthy 327 in the 2nd innings setting a stiff target of 276. West-Indies were precariously placed at 91 for 3 and were then reeling at 111 for 4. Richards smashed a brutal 109 of 111 deliveries and along with Gus Logie took West Indies home by 5 wickets.
He was also a great leader having won 27 of 50 matches as Test captain, losing only 8. He is the only West Indies captain never to lose a Test series.
| Sehwag | Richards | |
|---|---|---|
| Home Ground | Ferozshah Kotla, Delhi | St.Johns, Antigua |
| Average in matches won | 56.9 | 52.4 |
| Average in matches lost | 34.86 | 31.5 |
| Average in 1st innings | 65.07 | 50.7 |
| Average in 2nd innings | 30.45 | 48.9 |
| Centuries in 1st innings | 22 | 18 |
| Centuries in 2nd innings | 1 | 6 |
| Number of Sixes | 90 | 84 |
| Man of the Match Awards | 8 | 10 |
| Highest Score | 319 vs South Africa at Chennai, 2008 | 291 vs England at The Oval in 1976 |
| Highest partnership | 410 with Rahul Dravid vs Pakistan at Lahore | 308 with Richie Richardson vs Australia at St. Johns |
| Favourite Grounds | Galle,Mumbai,Mohali,Chennai,Multan,Kanpur (2 centuries each) | St. Johns and Port of Spain (3 centuries each) |
| Aggregate runs in a year | 2nd to Smith and Tendulkar in 2008 and 2010 resp. | Leading run getter in 1976 |
| No. of double centuries | 4 (plus 2 triple tons) | 3 |
| Other Records | 2nd fastest to 7000 runs after W Hammond | Fastest to reach 1000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 |
It is interesting to note that Richards and Sehwag, both average significantly less when their team has lost, clearly indicating the impact players and match-winners they have been for their respective sides and the dependance of their teams on them.
Sehwag's average in the 2nd innings is less than half of his average in the 1st innings (which is very high itself at 65.07). The only explanation which can be given is that while Viru has been an outright match-winner and has set up innumerable victories for India, his ability to focus and concentrate goes down as the match progresses and as the wear and tear on the pitch increases. His solitary century in the 2nd innings had come against Australia in Adelaide in 2008 helping India to a fighting draw and spoiling the Kangaroos' party as they hoped for a win for Gilchrist in his farewell match.
It may also be mentioned that while the fast bowling attack was at its peak in Richard's era with the likes of Thompson, Lillee, Holding, Garner, Roberts, Marshall, Botham, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Hadlee and Willis to name a few, Sehwag has played his cricket with the 3 greatest spinners to have ever played the game - Shane Warne, Muttaih Muralitharan and Saqlain.
The % of matches won when Sehwag scored a century is 34.78 whereas it rises to 50 in case of Richards. To be fair on Sehwag, Viv was a part of a world beating team with the best fast bowling attack to have ever played the game. India's victory % rises to 50 when Viru scores a half century (but falls short of the 3 figure mark) whereas the same statistic for West Indies in the case of Richards is 48.8%.
Richards had an average of 49.77 at Home and 50.50 Away. Sehwag has a far better record at Home scoring approximately 58 runs in every innings. This average drops to 44.65 outside India. Experts have been very critical of Sehwag for his performances on the faster and bouncier tracks around the world. Although he averages a modest 35.97 against Australia, South Africa and England when on tour with a total of only 4 centuries, he still gets these runs at an alarming strike-rate of 71.17. Even though he hasn't got the numbers and performed even close to his formidable outings in the sub-continent, it is these very so called 'tiny', 'bits and pieces' and 'low' score innings (cameos) that have given India the impetus and the momentum at the start, taken the opposition unaware and put them on the backfoot, forcing the rival skipper to set defensive fields and consequently helped the other more classical batsmen like Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar to take their time and build an innings.
Summary
Both are astute thinkers and have a very sharp cricketing brain. When talking about these 2 giants of the game, one must keep in mind the different roles they play in their respective teams. Richards batted mostly at 3 or 4 and often came in when the team had already been provided a rampaging start by one of the greatest opening pairs of all times, Greenidge and Desmond Haynes. Viv's job was to keep the momentum going and he did it in great style!
In the case of Sehwag, it has been upto him to provide the impetus at the start of the innings and it was only later that he found an able opener in Gautam Gambhir. This makes his Test record all the more special. No team dares to declare in the 3rd innings till they completely feel safe with the target they set - still there is that ever lurking danger of a little cameo or a hurricane innings from Sehwag that would sweep the match away from them!
As it is well known, Viru modelled himself on Sachin Tendulkar, and the similarity in their styles is quite evident. When they come out to bat for India, it is like Krishna riding Arjuna in his chariot in the battle field of Kurukshetra in the Hindu mythological epic 'Mahabharata', guiding him after having imparted all his knowledge and wisdom to his favourite disciple. It is interesting to note that Tendulkar himself had 2 role models while growing up - Gavaskar and Richards!
Both these enigmatic men redefine the very basics of cricket - the way the game is meant to be played. They have put to rest many cricket experts and pundits and their traditional theories. If ever there could be Romance in Aggression - they have all the orthodox shots in their repertoire and many more which you won't find in any coaching manual and they execute these with perfection in the most unusual and unorthodox of styles. They have been controversial, been frowned upon, knocked down by peers and critics but have come roaring back with counter attacks of gigantic proportions.
They don't give a damn for any bowler's reputation or record. The only reputation which matters, is theirs! Bowlers tremble with the prospect of having to bowl at them - their daunting image and stroke-play making them shiver, giving them nightmares in broad daylight! They command the respect of one and all and let their bat do most of the talking, chipping in with the occasional banter. They have bones of steel and are determined in their resolve to bring the ultimate glory to their people and nation who in turn would pay a fortune to watch their heroes bat.
Fear and intimidation lay the foundations on which the original Godfather, Don Vito Corleone's built his empire, and after ruling New York like no one did or dared to before, spent the rest of his days in peace with his family and handed over the reign to his son, Michael Corleone.
As Sehwag decimates bowling attacks all over the world, a man similar in height and stature enjoys a few glasses of his favourite rum in the Spinnakers Beach Bar and Restaurant in Dickenson Bay in Antigua. 'Been there, done that', he says with his typical swagger.
If intimidation could ever intimidate then the Oxford Dictionary should have already incorporated 'Viviantimidation', and I don't know what Sehwag is made of, but there is definitely a 'Vir-in-there'
They are men of honour who led and inspired by example and superseded all our expectations. They don't have an ounce of negativity in their blood, are eternal optimists and even when they are beaten by a good delivery, they don't have an iota of remorse for the shot they attempted and immediately forget about it and thwack the next ball to the fence, their eyes telling the bowler to go and fetch it. The expression on the bowler's face is of extreme sorrow and grief. The rival captain bewildered and clueless. They have captured our imagination like no one before and their conquests are reminiscent of the great conquerors of the world - Alexander and Napoleon. The benchmark and the standards they have set are very high, yet they have outdone themselves time and again. They are legends who brought the crowds back to Test Cricket, who brought a smile to their million crazy fans. They are rebels who challenged the authority again and again, never gave up and were finally successful. They are inspirations of courage, valour and resolve to the common man. Such men will go down in history as revolutionaries because they had the courage to dream, the dream to dare, and then the will and the talent to succeed!
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