Sehwag Back In Business

In my previous column I mentioned that Damien Martynand Virender Sehwag had been unfairly questioned on form by some critics. Let medelve a little deeper and analyse Sehwag's career.

I decided to compare it to Brian Lara's first 25 Testsand 103 one-dayers. Lara is the current legend I choose for a Sehwag comparisonbecause I see so many similarities between them on and off the field, albeitfrom a distance. Maybe then, we can judge how harsh some critics are getting intoday's professional game.

Professional is a word which irks me when used incertain ways. Professionalism defined is the total dedication to the eradicationof error. It has nothing to do with money and nor should it.

Current cricketers are fulltime cricketers butcertainly no more professional than any earlier generation. In fact now that themoney is good, they are probably less professional than someone who applied thesame commitment for nothing in the 1920's, 30's or 40's.

A downside for our current players due to theirimproved earning capacity is less sympathy from critics and a public who believethey have sufficient reason for calling for a player's head after a short run ofpoor performances.

Two very laid back, cool customers are Sehwag and Larawhich disguises so well the vicious power they inflict instantly. Neither aredevoted to the cricketing textbooks in the way they play but both are sobeautifully natural players who are better than most with style.

Minimal footwork can create batting problems if form ison the wane but can be breathtaking when in full flight and there are no betterexponents than these two men in any conditions.

They have periods of invincibility when the oppositionmerely buckle up for the ride. Boundaries at will, shots manufactured fromperfect lengths like the flip pull shot Lara plays off his thigh pad with bothfeet off the ground.

Sehwag's range on the off side is as complete asanyone's. From the finest of slices to third man, to off drives for six. Not ascomplete on the legside or with the short stuff as Lara, probably due to lack ofexposure, but by no means deficient.

Placement of shots into gaps is a strength of bothwhich stands to reason if you have an opposition attack resigned to waiting fora mistake, you must be hurting with boundaries more than others. To furtherconfuse and frustrate bowlers is an improving awareness of running betweenwickets.

By no means the complete player yet, let's have a lookat the career statistics of Sehwag and Lara at the same career stage. Here Ibring in the distinction between Test and one-dayers, which people tend to blurand misinterpret.

In Tests at this stage of Sehwag's career he has scoredonly 126 fewer runs at similar average to Lara (53.93 compared to Lara 55.83)with a far superior conversion rate of hundreds. Seven hundreds and six fiftiescompared to four and 13 for Lara. His strike rate is dynamite which may cost himsome stats at times but experience already has him tempering this, in exchangefor more time in the middle.

Sehwag's record isn't inflated by games against poorerteams either. Just two innings against Zimbabwe and none against Bangladesh.This start therefore has been remarkable and far too easily pushes behind afortnight or so of ordinary performances.

It is the one-day arena where Sehwag probably has hit awall. Hardly surprising, considering the methods he employs to produce a strikerate of nearly 95, when the white ball is at its most venomous.

Sehwag is 1100 runs behind Lara after their first 100innings and 13 1/2 average points behind. (32 compared with 45.49) This is anarea of concern and one where he should be able to rectify easily. Simplytrusting that if he stays longer at the crease, runs and strike rate will lookpretty healthy.

Batsmen like Sehwag do not need to bat too differentlyin the different forms of the game, yet there is pressure to do just that. Larafor example takes less early risks yet his strike rate is still superb at 77.2.A little more mental control will see Sehwag become a consistent danger to all.

Both men have the appearance of being relaxed which isvital even if the stomach is churning and the brain racing.

Emerging from the huge shadow of Tendulkar has beenmade to look a non-event by Sehwag and he has coped with excessive expectationsalready in his short stint.

These sort of pressures have cost Lara time out of thegame and should be a warning to those responsible for all young players' wellbeing, not just the Indians.

Sehwag looks like he loves what he is doing, it lookslike others enjoy him and he has now officially bounced back once and quitequickly from a perceived and publicised slump.

The game is full of characters constantly doing justthat. Heads are definitely on the block much earlier these days. I will leave itup to you to decide for yourself, if calls not to play Sehwag in the last Testwere premature or not. I am hopeful that my opinion is very clear on the issue.

PTI