Another series and another failure for Sehwag, he fails more often these days than he succeeds. It is beyond imagination that a player amassing more than 8000 runs in both the formats of the game still continues to be frequently dropped out of series. His Test average is better, but no one cares. The bigger question is however, does he himself care?
Sehwag is a man of his words. He says it doesn't matter to him if he's batting on zero, 99 or 199, he will go after the bowling and will play his proverbial 'natural game'. But sounding nice is the only thing good about it. Sehwag's inability to curb his natural instinct is hurting India dearly. He needs to understand that he is no longer a part of a batting line up which once consisted of Dravid, Ganguly and Tendulkar. He can no longer just continue to swing his bat here and there. He is currently the most experienced member of the team and it’s high time he bats the way not he wants, but what the situation wants of him.
It’s not that he doesn't try. His inclination towards Yoga and meditation once saw him close his eyes and taking a deep breath before facing every ball. But soon enough, this treatment was dealt with the same way he deals with a good ball that beats him, FORGET!!! The past year and a half has seen his form take a major demise. If we take away the 117 against England in the Ahmedabad Test, he would have recorded this as his most futile year ever since his debut. He can be caught at times with a grin on his face on his most disastrous of outings on the pitch. He is human, so he would of course feel the pressure and when he does, he whistles. He doesn't show his discomfort too often, or is it that he's not really bothered since he backs up his basic instincts.
Dhoni said in an interview that "Sehwag has a unique mindset" and we all know what that is, ATTACK!!! It is said that attack is the purest form of defense but let’s face it, defense is not what Viru is about, it is not what Najafgarh is about. I his ODI fold is to be focussed, Sehwag's career has spanned over 11 years and for an opener, he only averages 35 with 15 hundreds and 38 fifties which is a bad conversion rate. We all talk about converting starts into big ones, but Sehwag still gets carried away with room outside the off-stump. To further worsen his case, his vulnerability to deliveries darting in has been exposed.
A major quality of a class player is his ability to adapt and mold according to the situation and reinvent over the course of time. Tendulkar went from his brutalizing self to more of a innovator. Indian captain MS Dhoni emerged onto the scene as someone who would throw the entire kitchen sink on a ball and today he accumulates before cutting loose. Hence, Sehwag is more of a batsman who instills fear rather than being an ODI great. The only thing missing between these two tags is Focus, which still remains a distant reality for the Nawab of Najafgadh. He doesn't change his game, his approach or his mindset. Whatever be the situation, Sehwag's mantra remains the same "See ball, hit ball". His mind works in a manner like no one else. He would do things like no one else such as going for a six in the last over before lunch or holding out in the deep playing a risky shot while batting on 195.
If only things were a bit easy for Sehwag fans. They have gone numb just like the player they admire. They probably wish to go back in time where the only problem Sehwag had was hair loss. His constant failures might force them to witness his twilight before expected. High time Sehwag puts a price on his dismissals and make bowlers earn his wicket rather than throwing it away. He was never really technique's favourite child but has always found a way out to make an impact out of nowhere. You would see Sehwag dropped from the finals of the CB series 2008 due to lack of form, and a month later he would smash the likes of Ntini, Morkel and Steyn out of the Kanpur stadium for a belligerent 319. He doesn't move his feet but has impeccable hand eye coordination.
Lets face it, at 34 years he isn't attaching any younger springs in his DNA. He isn't in his early years where he would be given chances regularly. Considering the number of big names who have been axed such as Zaheer and Harbhajan, Sehwag might not be far away from joining the club until he cross checks a few selective boxes in his batting form. The equation is simple, a good start from Sehwag increases chances of an Indian win by 75%. The Chennai Test against England in 2008 is a classic example. Sehwag needs to start taking up responsibilities and start winning matches. The only question remaining is when because when he gets going, the world sees a live example of handing over CARNAGE to the opposition.
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