Clueless in Kolkata: Safs have a Sehwag problem

On Monday, the swashbuckler from Najafgarh smashed a lively unbeaten 82 as India made a strong reply of 129 for 1 to the visitors 305. Yet — except for a brief spell towards the end of the day against leg-spinner Justin Ontong — there was none of the usual free-flowing approach to his batting that one usually associates with Sehwag.

The Safs had probably worked it out well, as they peppered him with short balls at his rib-cage and tucked him up. They had finally found a chink in the armour and a way to check his strike rate.

Even the likes of Zander de Bruyn and Andrew Hall made Sehwag uncomfortable at the crease as the shadows began to lengthen at the Eden Gardens. But the Indian dressing room was anywhere near even being bothered. ‘‘As long as Sehwag is there we have nothing to worry. He needs just about 30 overs to change a match,’’ said Harbhajan Singh of his teammate.

This came true as the floodlights took full effect at the Eden Gardens and with his partner Gautam Gambhir having departed, Sehwag had the dependable Rahul Dravid for company. While Dravid struggled to score, he was around to guide Sehwag in that period when the Safs’ plan appeared to be working and the Indian scoring rate was going at a snail’s pace.

Of the phase, Shaun Pollock said later: ‘‘We did get on top of him as we were doing the basics right.’’

Coach Jennings agreed with his senior bowler and maintained that it was Sehwag’s uninhibited style which opened the floodgates: ‘‘He has brought in the style of one-day batting in Tests, improving the run-rate for India.’’

Part-timer Ontong was the one to suffer. Sehwag appeared content to take it easy, till Ontong caught him padding up to one on or around off-stump. Umpire Simon Taufel negated an appeal that appeared extremely close on TV replays. But more importantly, it spurred Sehwag on to change gears. The next four balls went to extra cover (four), midwicket (six), midwicket (four) and off a reverse sweep, to the point boundary (four).

This was Ontong’s third over for the day. His next wasn’t much different, but this time cost just nine as the momentum returned to the Indians. Sehwag — clearly on demolition gear now, took to Pollock who had bowled a couple of miserly spells so far, and played a couple of delightful cover drives.

‘‘It’s a different thing when you’re batting with the knowledge that (Sachin) Tendulkar is waiting after you. Sehwag can afford to bat the way he does. We had a guy (Hashim Amla) coming in after (Jacques) Kallis who was making his debut. And Ontong was playing his first game for four years,’’ said Jennings of the difference in the two sides.

And — assuming Jennings doesn’t go out with a gun on Monday evening — the Safs might be in for more of the same on Tuesday morning. Unless, as Pollock said, ‘‘The ball does a bit in the morning. Hopefully we will be able to get Sehwag early. We can probably catch him then.’’

From the visitors’ point of view, it has to happen before Sehwag has returned to top gear. And India will hope Sehwag will be around at least till lunch, so that the difference between the two sides has been negotiated with substantially.