Sport

Buccaneer Sehwag sets up India’s chase

— Photo: K.R. Deepak

SWEEPING SUCCESS: Virender Sehwag was at his belligerent best as he got India’s run chase off to a rollicking start against England on Sunday.

Chennai: Virender Sehwag was high on octane and low on sympathy for the bowlers at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Sunday. His 68-ball 83 on a dusty pitch of inconsistent bounce was an astonishing effort.

The buccaneering opener’s blitzkrieg has set up the chase for India. England still holds the edge but the host, chasing 387 in a minimum of 126 overs, has an opportunity to make history.

India ended a Sunday of contrasts — England’s slow run-rate in the first two sessions was followed by Sehwag’s bludgeoning blows — on 131 for one. Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men require 256 more runs for victory on the last day.

There are dark, brown patches around the crease on both sides of the dusty pitch assisting spinners. However, the cracks have not opened up alarmingly yet.

Earlier on day four, opener Andrew Strauss (108, 244b, 8x4) became only the seventh batsman to notch up a century in each innings of a Test against India. Strauss and Paul Collingwood (108, 250b, 9x4) added 214 runs in the highest fourth-wicket partnership at Chepauk.

Unable to force the pace and losing six wickets for 54 runs in 20.3 overs, England declared its second innings at 311 for nine. Then, Sehwag (83, 11x4, 4x6) assumed centre-stage.

The odds are still against India pulling off the unexpected. The West Indies holds the record for the highest successful fourth innings chase in India — 276 at the Feroze Shah Kotla in 1987.

India’s highest match-winning score in the fourth innings is 262 against Australia at the Brabourne Stadium in 1964.

Making light of the pressures of a daunting pursuit, Sehwag has given India hope.

He walked the tightrope — this meant he played his natural game. Lacking the precision of the first innings, the English pacemen provided Sehwag width and he creamed the bowlers between cover-point and third-man.

While Sehwag stroked powerfully, he also harnessed the pace and the bounce of the ball.

Perhaps, the English ploy was to consume Sehwag on his strength. A gully, rather square, and a squarish third -man were in place as Harmison banged it in short outside the off-stump.

Sehwag almost perished when he sliced Harmison dangerously over a leaping Alastair Cook at gully; the fielder got a hand to the ball.

Soon, Sehwag displayed a different aspect of his batting. A glorious on-drive had even Harmison admiring the stroke.

The Indian opener created room playing beside the line of the ball and dominated square off the pitch with short-arm jabs rather than full fledged cuts.

Sehwag’s hand-eye coordination, astonishing reflexes and a natural ability to pick the length early enabled him to strike with aggression when others might have merely defended. Sehwag hugely enjoyed his stint in the middle — he was never short of a laugh or a stroke — and the stands filled up.

The bounce was inconsistent; a few deliveries were jumping from the rough, a few kept a shade low, and a few were not quite coming on to the bat. But then, Sehwag defies the norms.

For someone with limited footwork, his body balance is surprisingly good. And a still head is Sehwag’s biggest ally.

A blithe spirit with an uncluttered mind, Sehwag can lift the morale in the dressing room while denting the opposition psychologically.

Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar was forced to bowl a defensive outside-the-leg-stump line from over-the-wicket. Sehwag was not pleased with the tactics and a conversation with England skipper Kevin Pietersen followed.

Earlier, Sehwag had swung Panesar over mid-wicket and then struck the bowler over his head for sixes.

It was against the run of play when off-spinner Graeme Swann got a delivery to spin in sharply from the rough outside the off-stump. Sehwag missed a sweep and umpire Daryl Harper upheld the appeal.

Sehwag and the left-handed Gautam Gambhir put on 117 in only 23 overs.

Gambhir (41 batting, 91b, 4x4) essayed a few crisps strokes on the off-side. The southpaw was, however, lucky to survive a vociferous appeal from Swann; the ball bounced off his pad, kissed the glove, and was held at short-leg.

Earlier, England made 72 runs in the first session and just 57 in the second.

England might still win the Test but its mind-set was rather negative when it was in a position to dominate.

Strauss retained his levels of concentration. He played close to his body and used the width of the crease well while playing back.

Collingwood was more enterprising off the front foot but could not pierce the gaps. Only Matt Prior (33 off 56 balls) displayed some enterprise.

Searching for rhythm, Harbhajan finally had Strauss taken at cover with a fuller length delivery spinning away from the left-hander.

Leggie Amit Mishra could have been a touch quicker in the air. Zaheer bowled zestfully from round-the-wicket and Ishant got a special delivery to leave and dismiss Andrew Flintoff.

Not much later, the Chennai crowd waltzed to the Sehwag rhythm.

SCOREBOARD England — 1st inning: 316

India — 1st innings: 241

England — 2nd innings: A. Strauss c Laxman b Harbhajan 108, A. Cook c Dhoni b Ishant 9, I. Bell c Gambhir b Mishra 7, K. Peitersen lbw b Yuvraj 1, P. Collingwood lbw b Zaheer 108, A. Flintoff c Dhoni b Ishant 4, M. Prior c Sehwag b Ishant 33, G. Swann b Zaheer 7, S. Harmison b Zaheer 1, J. Anderson (not out) 1; Extras; (b-10, lb-13, w-2, nb-7) 32; Total: (for nine wkts. decl in 105.5 overs) 311.

Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Cook), 2-42 (Bell), 3-43 (Peitersen), 4-257 (Strauss), 5-262 (Flintoff), 6-277 (Collingwood), 7-297 (Swann), 8-301 (Harmison), 9-311 (Prior).

India bowling: Zaheer 27-7-40-3, Ishant 22.5-1-57-3, Mishra 17-1-66-1, Yuvraj 3-1-12-1, Harbhajan 30-3-91-1, Sehwag 6-0-22-0.

India — 2nd innings: G. Gambhir (batting) 41, V. Sehwag lbw b Swann 83, R. Dravid (batting) 2; Extras: (b-3, lb-2) 5; Total: (for one wkt in 29overs) 131.

Fall of wicket: 1-117 (Sehwag).

England bowling: Harmison 4-0-33-0, Anderson 2-0-15-0, Panesar7-1-36-0, Flintoff 8-1-15-0, Swann 8-0-27-1.

Corrections and Clarifications

The eight paragraph of a report "Buccaneer Sehwag sets up India's chase" ("Sport", December 15, 2008) was "India's highest match-winning score in the fourth innings is 262 against Australia at the Brabourne Stadium in 1964." India scored 256 for eight to win the Brabourne Test against Australia by two wickets in 1964. This is the highest score in India. For all matches, the highest score is 406 at the Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, in 1976.

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