The curious case of Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag appeared to redefine the rule book and conquer without trying too hard. When the runs dried up, this same approach seemed as inscrutable as his batting technique. (TOI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Does Virender Sehwag have the enthusiasm to reinvent himself for one more shot at international glory? Or will he, content with past achievements, simply choose to fade away from public memory?

As the curtain closes on a horror run in the Ranji Trophy for this most unique of openers, the question on everybody's lips is whether Indian cricket has lost Sehwag's services for good.

If that's the case, it's bad news for Indian cricket in particular and Test cricket in general. It's worth a reminder what a colossus of batting Sehwag actually was. Numbers don't do his impact justice, though they are well-known and carry considerable weight.

For a bit more than a decade, Sehwag defined all that was joyous in Indian cricket, his merry mincemeat of bowlers the triumphal howl of a fearless modern master.

Sehwag appeared to redefine the rule book and conquer without trying too hard. When the runs dried up, this same approach seemed as inscrutable as his batting technique.

Now, this bespectacled 35-year-old's gifts - an amazing hand-eye co-ordination and bat speed which formed the cornerstone of his art - seem to have dwindled as rapidly as they once blossomed, leaving everyone craving for more.

This season in the Ranji Trophy, the bat in his hand has rebelled. He has averaged 19.50 from 13 innings, with a highest of 56 against Vidarbha. He has failed to convert starts.

That Delhi chose to play on seaming tracks hasn't helped and he has often groped for answers against ordinary bowlers. Yet, there have been all-too-brief moments of fluidity which suggest all is not lost.

Sehwag appeared confused about his place in the batting order too, having batted at No. 4, No. 3, No. 5, No. 6 until coming full circle and returning to opening the innings, a role which will forever define his place in cricketing history.

There were rumours emanating from the Delhi camp that he was laidback, that he lacked the intent and patience necessary to carve big scores and worm his way back into the spotlight, that he was hell bent on playing the swashbuckler. But again, those who have seen him at his best don't agree.

"That's always the way he has batted. He is very focused on his training methods; it's just that they are different from the norm. He knows best what works for him. You don't get to be Virender Sehwag by just walking to the crease," says former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, once the chairman of selectors who gambled - on skipper Anil Kumble's insistence - on an off-form Sehwag back in 2008. That move reignited the spark in Sehwag but Vengsarkar isn't sure if he would make a similar decision now.

"I don't know, that was six years back," says Vengsarkar, "Batsmen who rely on pure technique don't look as exciting but they come out of poor form faster than those who rely on hand-eye coordination, which fades with falling eyesight and age. Some say a shoulder surgery has reduced his bat speed, but I'm not sure. Is Sehwag motivated enough? His batting can be best described by a word we often use for bowlers: rhythm. He has to be in rhythm, and for that he has to play as much as possible. Once the rhythm is back, he will rediscover the confidence. And he must open, or it gives off bad vibes."

Vengsarkar dismissed Sehwag's poor run this Ranji season by saying, "Maybe for him, runs at the domestic level are never an indication of how he will perform on the international stage. But they help."

Delhi selector Chetan Chauhan says, "He is not batting with conviction. He must continue to open, since the new ball and the lack of close-in fielders suits his strokeplay in the longer format. He is trying to adjust; it's not that he is going just slam-bang. He knows with age one's game must change. The Sehwag of old may not return but he is still a good-enough batsman for the top level. This sort of poor season comes in every cricketer's life. Sehwag has had no luck. With a bit of luck and some runs, the hunger can return."

Delhi skipper Gautam Gambhir says, "He's one of the greatest. This is a phase. Eventually it's up to Sehwag as well. You have to keep working hard and he is doing that. His methods of preparation are his own, not for less gifted batsmen."

Gambhir feels opening is all about mental toughness but the road back into Team India may seem an uphill task for Sehwag right now. Youngsters in his place have performed and no one seems to be missing him, at least for the moment. Once chirpy and humorous in public, Sehwag seems to be shunning the limelight too.

It's not pleasing to see Sehwag struggle. Maybe, he is frustrated by a suddenly ageing body. Maybe he lacks a stage and the domestic arena isn't motivation enough. Hopefully, all Sehwag needs to do is decide if he wants to rule the cricketing world all over again.

Viru by the numbers

Tests: 104, Runs: 8586; Average: 49.34; 100s: 23; 50s: 32; HS: 319

ODIs: 251; Runs: 8273; Average: 35.05; 100s: 15; 50s: 38; HS: 219

This Ranji season

Matches: 7; Runs: 234; Average: 19.50; 100s: 0; 50s: 1; HS: 5
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