Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Rains had forced the Indian team indoors on the eve of the practice game against Northamptonshire but not deep enough to push them out of sight. With several fitness suspects in the team,the full-strength media kept a close eye on every step that the players took from the long viewing balcony one that runs along two walls,just below the roof of the training facility.
Of the lot,one player who drew special attention and lived a fish-in-a-bowl existence on Thursday was Virender Sehwag. From the vantage point above the nets,reporters hung over the railing to gauge Sehwags state of mind during his first public session with Team India after the shoulder surgery. Several questions lingered anxiously in the damp air. Is he fit enough to bat? If so,will he still have his magical touch? Within minutes,both were answered satisfactorily.
Just as Sehwag caressed a few strokes,smiles returned to the faces of touring reporters,who exchanged glances of approval as if to confirm that Indian crickets most valuable shoulder at the moment was in good shape. Fierce cuts and booming drives followed,hinting that his recuperation after going under the knife hadnt cut down or restricted his movement. His punch on the backfoot and the solid push to covers after taking a stride out indicated that his famous touch was in place. And a constantly giggling Sachin Tendulkar showed that the pressure of a comeback hadnt eroded Sehwags sparkling sense of the humour.
First impressions
The day also witnessed the first interaction between Sehwag and new coach Duncan Fletcher. And very typical to the world of professional cricketers,the two broke ice over a long session of throwdowns. Fletcher,62,gave it his all as he altered length,changed speed,hurled varying lines all in an attempt to induce a false shot. But a full face of the bat and a confident stride brought smiles on the faces of both men. During his prolonged stint as England coach,Fletcher must have closely observed Sehwags knocks. But now,he could finally read the mind of the entertaining batsman.
At some point during the intense session,Fletcher began testing Sehwag with the short,spicy stuff. After a few deliveries that flew over his head,Sehwag walked to the coach and pointed towards his helmet visor: Bowl at this level,anything above is easy to leave, Sehwag said. Fletcher got the point and the throwdowns continued. After a long while,the coach finally gave up.
Only time will tell if Sehwag is able to lift the morale of the entire team,but his Delhi-mate and long time opening partner Gautam Gambhir seemed happy to have his good old sounding board back. Batting next to Sehwag at the nets,he constantly spoke with his senior partner,just like they have since the early days. Tendulkar and Sehwag also chatted for a long time and as the former moved towards the nets,the latter headed towards the door.
Meanwhile,the media wanted to capture Sehwags relaxed net session with a sound bite. While he was batting,Sehwag had a Bollywood song on his lips. The cameras were too far to capture the audio. And so when he moved towards the waiting team bus,Sehwag was chased with a rather ridiculous request of repeating the song for the cameras. Sehwag was in a good mood,but this was perhaps stretching things too far.
A little later,the man in focus met an old friend,who was armed with a patronising welcome: Viru,now that you are here,there is no problem. Sehwag wasnt buying as he replied: Main kya Bhagwan hoon? India,in context with this series,sure will hope so.
