From Challenger clouds, a silver lining: Sehwag

The Challenger series ended with a burst of rain here today with the final between India Blue and India Red being called off.

The Challenger series ended with a burst of rain here today with the final between India Blue and India Red being called off. But not before Team India squeezed out one last positive from the four-day bash. After Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni struck form two days ago, it was finally the turn of Virender Sehwag to click with the bat.

In the event, for many watching the match from the galleries, the agony wasn8217;t just about rain spoiling the day8217;s play. It was also about watching Sehwag show some great form, after a long time, and then having the match called off with the Delhi star on 90 and India Blue at 210 for four after choosing to bat first.

The other day, Sehwag had sprained his ankle and it had seemed like his continuing run drought had reached critical levels. The opener, though, was keen to impress one and all before the upcoming Champions Trophy and gained momentum fast to the cheers of the 3,000-odd spectators on the ground.

There were shots all over the field, as if a fresh surge of inspiration had come from his opening partner Sachin Tendulkar, who cracked an awesome 139 the other day. Tendulkar returned with a duck today, but Sehwag took it up from there: there were powerfully executed drives, pulls and those trademark lofts over the bowler8217;s head. His batting was beginning to look like he had regained his old touch.

Thanks to some dismal footwork, the aggressive batsman has not been in prime form for almost two seasons. And while his captain Rahul Dravid and coach Greg Chappell have gone out of the way to support the batsman, his line always has been: 8220;I am sure I will be back among the runs very soon.8217;8217;

8220;Before the Pakistan series was to begin, he was in a similar situation and that is when we worked on his hand-eye coordination. Perhaps, we thought, he was being a little too cyclical in his style of play. After that, he got his double hundred,8217;8217; said Ian Frazer, Chappell8217;s deputy, now acting as coach of India Blue.

Frazer added that 8220;It is important that he spends some time out in the middle, whenever there8217;s the opportunity.8217;8217; When Frazer was asked last evening about Sehwag8217;s ankle injury, the Aussie brushed it aside saying 8220;He8217;s all well, I8217;m looking forward to him scoring a few runs.8221;

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Frazer added that it is time for the right-hander to sort out a few issues. 8220;There8217;s nothing wrong with his batting. It8217;s just that he desperately needs a few big scores,8217;8217; he said.

That was exactly what Sehwag was up to today, before rains played spoilsport. A century 8212; he was just 10 runs short 8212; would have been the perfect prelude to the Champions Trophy. But for now, Sehwag will simply have to draw confidence from this one innings 14 fours and a six until India play their first match of the 10-nation tournament against England at Jaipur on October 15.