Published 18:55 IST, May 19th 2020
Virender Sehwag names batsman who made him run the most and it is NOT Sachin Tendulkar
Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag once revealed the name of his former teammate who made him run the most while batting together out in the middle.
Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag announced his international retirement in 2015. Widely regarded as one of the most destructive openers of all time, the right-handed batsman scored 17,253 international runs across all formats. However, the most striking statistic associated with Virender Sehwag’s batting is that 11,090 out of his 17,253 runs came in fours and sixes, i.e. above 64% of his runs are comprised of boundaries.
Virender Sehwag reveals batsman who made him run the most
In an appearance on What The Duck with Vikram Sathaye on July 27, 2017, Virender Sehwag was asked to reveal the name of the batsman who made him run the most. The former cricketer was quick to reply the name of his former captain Rahul Dravid and not his partner in many ODIs and Tests, Sachin Tendulkar. As evidenced from the batting styles and statistics of both cricketers, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag’s approach towards batting is quite distinct from each other. While Dravid is known for occupying hours at the crease with a solid defensive technique, Sehwag is usually the one who hits boundaries and scores right from the word go.
Virender Sehwag 293 and Rahul Dravid’s advice
In the interview, Virender Sehwag also candidly recalled a partnership he had with Rahul Dravid against Sri Lanka during the 2009 Mumbai Test. In the match, Sehwag scored 284 runs in a single day (Day 2) and he was looking favourite to reach his third Test triple century the following day. However, Sehwag revealed in the interview that he could have reached his third Test triple on the same day itself. He later said it was his batting partner Rahul Dravid who had advised him to take a slow approach towards the end of the day in order to preserve his wicket for the entire next day.
Virender Sehwag said that he took Dravid’s advice and remained unbeaten on 284 at Stumps. However, on Day 3, the attacking batsman could only manage to add 9 more runs to his overnight score as he was caught-and-bowled by Muttiah Muralitharan for 293. Sehwag then laughingly said that had he not paid heed to Rahul Dravid’s advice, he might have completed the milestone on the previous day itself.
Virender Sehwag 293: Cricketer fails to make Sachin Tendulkar do his bidding
Virender Sehwag also recalled that he was extremely disappointed by not reaching the 300-run mark because of a pact he made with Sachin Tendulkar. According to Sehwag, he had asked Tendulkar earlier in the dressing room to do something for him if he is able to reach his 300. While Virender Sehwag did not reveal what he had asked of Sachin Tendulkar, the Mumbai-based batsman still agreed to a pact. However, Sehwag’s pact remained unfulfilled because of his dismissal before the landmark.
Virender Sehwag recalls his 293-run knock, watch video
Updated 18:55 IST, May 19th 2020