Commending his former India opening partner Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir said that nobody can coordinate the aggressive opener’s effect in Tests cricket.
Sehwag, who made his Test debut for India in 2001, had an awesome red-ball profession where he scored 8586 runs in 104 Test matches at a strike-rate over 82, indenting up 23 centuries and 32 half-centuries of years.
The 41-year-old was the first Indian batsman to score a triple century in Test cricket, and has done so twice — 309 against Pakistan in Multan in 2004 and 319 against South Africa in Chennai in 2008. He is additionally the fourth individual to score more than one triple Test ton after Sir Don Bradman, Brian Lara, and Chris Gayle.
Gambhir Praises Sehwag:
“No one can match Sehwag’s impact in Tests. No one actually thought he could be such a successful Test opener. People always thought he was always going to be a much more successful white-ball cricketer. But if you look at his records, he is far more successful in red-ball cricket,” Gambhir said on Cricket Connected.
“That is Virender Sehwag for you.”
Gambhir recalled a particular Sehwag inning where the swashbuckling batsman scored a 68-ball 83 against England in Chennai in 2008, which helped India win the match.
“I remember one inning which was played in Chennai when we won the Test match against England. We were chasing around 350-odd [387, actually] on a turner, where they had Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, and Virender Sehwag got 60-odd runs.”
“Just by scoring 60 [83 actually], if you can become the man of the match, that shows the impact of the person.”
“And, just setting up the game, if Virender Sehwag bats till lunch, you will be at around 100. Not a lot of team approach Test cricket like that, when you are batting on Day 1, you want to be as loose as you can. But Virender Sehwag was absolutely different. So that’s why no one can match his impact in Test cricket.”
During their playing career, Gambhir and Sehwag formed a successful partnership at the top, scoring 4412 runs from 87 innings including 11-century stands.
Watch Sehwag and Gambhir’s Aggressive Opening Against South Africa:
Also read: Gautam Gambhir Uncovers WHY MS Dhoni Deserves Full Credit for Virat Kohli’s Team India Achievement
