Pakistan v. India - 1st. Test

[Donny]

Watching Sehwag bat

Chandrahas Choudhury

Outside of incompetent tailenders who average in single figures, Virender Sehwag now possesses perhaps the most original technique in contemporary international cricket. No other batsman in world cricket hangs so far back inside his crease to the quicks, waiting for the ball to come to him, and choosing to play beside rather than behind the line. Often his back foot is outside the line of leg-stump – again, something more commonly seen from tailenders as they back away to leg against the quicks – as he meets the ball.

Sehwag's signature style means that the faster the bowler, the faster the ball speeds off the bat, as he deflects full-length balls behind point, and shorter balls over the slips and often over third man for six. And should the bowler only be no more than medium pace, the extra split second that Sehwag allows himself by staying back gives him the time to generate enormous power of his own, with which he treats the bowlers to a variety of flays and slaps, cuffs and punches – his own versions of the shots referred to the textbook as the drive and the cut.

This is one distinct trait of Sehwag's batting. But as many observers have remarked, Sehwag also seems to possess a mind, an approach to batting, singularly unconcerned with the kinds of things that trouble other batsmen, such as the memory of the last ball or of previous encounters with the bowler, the demands made by the state of the game, the deployment of a field inviting him to play a particular shot, or else the caution and circumspection that batsmen feel when they approach a personal landmark.

Yesterday he brought up his hundred with a six off Shoaib Akhtar, and this afternoon, when on the verge of a triple hundred for the first time in his career, he had no qualms about swinging Saqlain Mushtaq over the deep fielder at long-on for another six.

Sehwag has many gifts of technique and skill: a fine eye and quick general reactions, brute power (no Indian batsman has ever approached the savagery of his cutting) and at the same time beautiful `touch' on the ball – as an example consider his first boundary on the second morning, from a full delivery on the stumps from Mohammad Sami that he met just below his eyes and, with a turn of the wrists, sent speeding backward of square leg for four.

But it is his approach to the game - his gambler's instinct and his insouciance, the free and easy air with which he plays his slightly chancy game – that is his most charming and attractive quality, made all the more endearing because of the intense and competitive world in which he practises his craft. To this writer there is no stroke in the game more beautiful than a cover-drive or a flick from the bat of VVS Laxman, and yet there is no prospect as pleasurable in general as that of watching Sehwag bat.

There is something irresistible about such bravado and dash, such disregard of rules of batsmanship thought to be almost sacrosanct. Even strolling about the crease between deliveries, he appears to be thinking not about the bowler changing his line of attack, or of this fielder going here and that one there, but rather of palm trees and golden beaches.

It is this very style that earned Sehwag the reputation of a `dasher' in his early days in international cricket, but there is something about that appellation that suggests style over substance, and also hints at a certain weakness, of faults and chinks waiting to be exposed. Sehwag has proved without doubt that he is not just a dasher.

In fact, he has readily agreed to bat at that position where dashers are most susceptible, against the new ball in Test matches, and produced from that position five centuries, each one a bigger innings than the last, against five different attacks in two seasons. Not so long ago new-ball bowlers around the world used to see Indian openers in their dreams. Now they usually come running in and see the ball disappear over point off the second ball of the game.

It is also worth remembering, on this momentous day in his career, that early on in his days in international cricket Sehwag was also called `The Tendulkar from Najafgarh', because he had consciously modelled his game on that of Sachin Tendulkar. Indeed, at that time many of his strokes did appear to be somewhat rustic versions of those of his hero: he drove down the ground similarly but with slightly more flourish; he cut similarly but threw himself at the ball a little more.

In fact, when England toured India late in 2001, and Tendulkar and Sehwag opened the innings together for the first time in one-day internationals, commentators often mistook one for the other, especially since they were also so similar in height and build.

But over the last two years Sehwag's batting has evolved in a direction of its own, and today nobody could possibly mistake his game for that of Tendulkar; he is now very much his own man. Indeed, if Tendulkar's game is unique in its perfection, in the beautifully measured backlift, immaculate footwork, and the bat offered with a lovely full face – in many respects the coaching manual personified – then Sehwag's game is a unique construct of his own conception, without an obvious precursor or model, and perhaps not even replicable by another batsman.

Watch him the next time as he walks out to bat with Akash Chopra, lets his partner take strike, strolls around the crease at his end, eventually takes strike himself, takes a look around the field, sets down in his stance, and prepares for the bowler's approach.

Watch as a full-length delivery just outside off-stump, the very delivery that bowlers have aimed to bowl more often than not throughout the history of Test cricket, is met almost on the crease line and rockets through point for four. Watch as the bowler, exasperated, aims at the stumps next ball and, at the very moment that he believes he has breached the batsman's defence, sees Sehwag flick wristily across the line and work it sweetly though midwicket.

Watch a short and fast ball biffed over third man for six. Watch as the spinner comes on, with three men protecting the boundary, and Sehwag goes down easily on one knee, and with a beautiful unfettered swing of the bat, unmindful of the deep fielders, send it over their heads for six. Watch as even the infielders drop back, and Sehwag then drops the ball down at his feet and scampers a quick single. Observe the relish with he carries out his game plan, the gusto with which he sets about the bowling!

Who does not feel less afflicted by the cares of the world after watching Sehwag bat?

Chandrahas Choudhury is staff writer of Wisden Asia Cricket magazine.

[Donny]

"We were playing very positively at the time … a run-rate of four-an-over is very good in Test cricket. But when Yuvraj got out, I saw Rahul [Dravid] calling us in" - Tendulkar on missing his double hundred.

Looks like Inzi and Yassir are finding this wicket about as difficult as Sachin did.

They have added 133 @ 4.07 r.p.o. Yassir Hameed is 74 n.o. and Inzamam-u-Haq is 60 n.o. It's 2/206.

I'd say Inzi has his sights set on Sehwag's 309 and don't count Hameed out. He made his Test debut with 170 and 105. This is his 8th. Test.
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Ooops. Spoke too soon. Inzi out to Kumble for 77. Hameed is 83 n.o. They put on 160 from 38.4 overs.
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Hameed also departs. He made 91 before getting an edge to the keeper from Pathan (2/79) It's 4/252.

[JLC]

Yup just as easy but not as many runs

jlc

[Donny]

At stumps, Pakistan is 6/364 as Tendulkar does a Warney and bowls Moin with the last ball of the day.

Hey, Sach. Keep it up mate and you may be right up there with D Lehmann on the all-rounders table.

Youhana made 35. Razzaq is 47 n.o. and Pakistan is still 311 runs behind.

[Donny]

'Do we need a spinning coach as well?'

Osman Samiuddin - Cricinfo

After spending almost two debilitating days in the field, Pakistan finally got a chance to see how good the pitch was for batting. Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yasir Hameed began the fightback, only to lose some late wickets at crucial times. The press conference, the first Inzamam had given since the match began, centered around the problems of Pakistan's bowling, the flatness of the pitch, and whether or not the match can be saved:


On Pakistan's bowling problems in the ODIs and the first Test:

We have had some problems with our bowling and we haven't bowled well thus far. The discipline continues to be a bit weak. We improved on the second day considerably and I thought we were unlucky. The fielding has been poor in this game. A long bowl will help us in a way, because it gave the bowlers a chance to get their rhythm back. The Indians stuck to a line and length and they bowled well.

On the pitch:

We want to play on positive, sporting pitches. These types of wickets do not suit us or help us to play positive cricket. Our attack consists of pace bowlers, not seamers, so we would like hard and bouncy pitches. There was communication between the team management and the curator as regards the pitch, but that type of wicket obviously couldn't be produced.

On the need for a bowling coach:

If spinners don't bowl well, do we then need a spinning coach as well? How many coaches do we need? If a team doesn't perform well once or twice, it doesn't suddenly mean that we need all sorts of coaches.

On saving the match:

It is difficult but if we continue to bat as we did today, when we were attacking, we can do it. There is still a lot of life in the match. Our batting has been good throughout the series and we performed well today - 364 for 6 isn't such a bad score, it just seems small against a score of nearly 700. Razzaq, who batted well, is still there and Saqlain and Sami can bat. We need 111 runs to save the follow-on and if we bat like this tomorrow, I am confident we can save the match.

On Yasir Hameed and the nervous nineties:

If he keeps getting nineties all the time, I won't be too displeased. He played well today, but maybe he gets nervous when he gets close to the century. If so, then he needs to work on that.

On debatable dismissals ... like his and Yousuf Youhana's:

All the batsmen were well set when they got out, so it was very disappointing. I can't say anything about the dismissals, but you have all seen the TV replays so it is up to you to decide whether or not they were debatable.

On Saqlain's poor performance, and an extra spinner:

He has been out for some time but he tried very hard on a very flat pitch. Let's see what happens in the remainder of the match. An extra spinner would not have made much of a difference on what is a batting paradise.

On not congratulating Sehwag, and Tendulkar's near-miss:

All the players did congratulate Sehwag on his effort, but I will do it now officially: Congratulations Virender Sehwag, on your magnificent triple-hundred! [Referring to Tendulkar:] Every team plays to its own plans. If someone was so close in my team, I would let them bat on for the double-century.

[Donny]

Razzaq didn't add to his overnight score and Pakistan was dismissed for 407 and will follow on.

Pathan took 4/100 and Tendulkar, 2/36.

[Donny]

Unbelievable !! Pakistan is 3/44 after losing 3 wickets in less than 4 overs.

Kumble got both openers and then Inzi gets run out after facing only one ball !!!

20.3 Sehwag to Yasir Hameed, no run, RUN OUT! Goodness me! this is bad cricket! Inzamam-ul-Haq gets another run out to his name! played
away to the mid wicket region, just wide of Yuvraj Singh, always a
dangerous run, he scores a direct hit and Inzi is just short,
third umpire confirms it

[London Dave]

The riot police are moving out of their bases, the boards go up on the windows around the Inzi household, Molotov cocktails are being primed, TV's shot at as the Paks slump to 7 for 124.

[London Dave]

First fires are alight, Paks 8 down!!!!!

[Donny]

Capitulation !!

Pakistan is 8/152 - that's 12/195 for the day.

Kumble has 5/67.
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Youhana decides he'd better hit out, while he still has a partner and takes 15 from Yuvraj. He's 74 n.o.
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Well, here's one bloke who doesn't want his house burnt down. Yousuf Youhana has smacked 29 from 15 balls to go to 86 n.o.

[Donny]

Fantastic innings from Youhana. He's gone to 106 n.o.

By my reckoning, he's gone from 50 to 106 without a single.
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Akhtar supported valiantly for 4 from 42 balls before becoming Kumble's 6th. victim.

Youhana is 107 n.o. and Pakistan needs 62 runs to make India bat again.

[Donny]

India clinch a historic win

Wisden Bulletin by Anand Vasu


It took India just 12 balls on the final morning to put the lid on a historic maiden Test win in Pakistan. If Rahul Dravid, leading the side in Sourav Ganguly's absence, had sat down and written a script for the dream Test match, it would have been exactly as this one played out. Pakistan were bowled out for 216 after following on and India won by an innings and 52 runs. After 52 years of India - Pakistan encounters, 49 years after India first toured Pakistan, they could finally savour the sweet taste of victory.

Anil Kumble began the proceedings on the final day, and bowled from around the wicket in an attempt to exploit the rough created by fast bowlers' followthrough. Yousuf Youhana played out the over safely, and stole a single off the last ball to retain the strike. Irfan Pathan was given the ball to send down the second over and he continued to bend his back and put in maximum effort. Youhana struck one gorgeous boundary back down the wicket, and just for a moment it appeared as though he was prepared to go after the bowling.

Pathan then banged the fifth ball in short and Youhana swayed out of the way. Pathan repeated the exercise with the last ball and this time Youhana (112) had to play a shot in order to get a single and keep the strike. He miscued his pull shot and Dravid called early to get under the catch that sealed India's win .

[Blanch]

After listening to interviews from the ground it's so pleasing to hear the joy that both sides get out of cricket. On ABC radio there were interviews of people from both sides at the ground enjoying the cricket and each others company. There was no animosity and there was a clear message they wanted heard by their govt's that peace is possible between the two. What a pity it will fall on deaf ears, but it was heartening to hear the friendliness between the two parties in the crowd regardless of the score.

[Donny]

Yes, Blanch, I noticed that too.

I heard one fan interviewed during one of the one dayers.

Reporter: "Who do you support?"

Fan: "Ooo I am a proud Pakistani supporter but I'm going for India"

Reporter: "Oh, why is that?"

Fan "Because it looks like they are going to win"

Reporter: "That's a bit unusual"

Fan: "No. Not unusual. We are the same. We love our cricket and everyone likes to cheer for the winner"

I often think, during the Olympics, especially the closing ceremonies, how different and refreshing it all looks compared to the real world.

It can be said of Sport and The Arts it's fiddling while Rome burns but I don't agree. If we persued these endevours more than wars and big business exploitation, it would be a far better world to live in.

[Blanch]

I heard that one to Donny.....the "hatred" just wasn't there. It may sound silly but I found that particular interview very uplifting.