Three-in-three: Signs of Virus turnaround

Coming off a string of poor scores,and accused of throwing away his wicket too often,it was that kind of tour for arguably the worlds most explosive opener

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Peter Siddles ball spat from a length and shaped away,caressed the outside edge as the batsman offered a tentative prod and settled into wicket-keeper Brad Haddins outstretched palms. That was Day Two of the Perth Test. It was a typical Virender Sehwag dismissal of an eminently forgettable Australian summer,but it lingers on in the mind because it ended his most forgettable knock an hour-long,atypical Virender Sehwag vigil for a mere 10 runs.

Coming off a string of poor scores,and accused of throwing away his wicket too often,it was that kind of tour for arguably the worlds most explosive opener. Questions were raised over his commitment on a daily basis,the hand-eye coordination had come under the scanner,and there were suggestions that,at 33 years,he was ageing faster than many others in the team.

Against this background,Sehwag waited patiently. It was after all a matter of time: of perhaps spending some in the middle,of waiting for his time to come . It didnt pay in the middle on that particular day,but four months on,amid rather familiar settings,on pitches far more benign and in a format far less demanding,Sehwag is back to his destructive best,as his three consecutive half-centuries 57,87 and 73 would suggest. Comparing Test performances with those in T20 is fraught with danger,but in the case of Sehwag,who knows only one way to play,it may be safe to assume that his bad days are behind him. At least,for now.

After getting a few starts early on in the tournament,he showed surest signs of a return to form with a 32-ball 57 against Pune albeit in a losing cause. In the next game,however,he stayed till the very end to see the team through. Against the Mumbai Indians on Friday,he started patiently and even allowed partner Mahela Jayawardene to outscore him initially. Soon,however,he was tearing into the rival bowling attack as the duo added 135 runs for the first wicket to almost seal the match in the opening hour of the game.

Quite like its emblematic skipper Sehwag,Delhi,too,has got a measure of redemption in IPL V. One of the leagues most consistent franchises in the first three years,they slipped up and slipped up badly last year.

In fact ,Daredevils only won when Sehwag fired,and with their captain pulling out early because of a shoulder injury,they brought up the rear in a 10-team competition. Incidentally,it was this injury that triggered a year-long slump for Sehwag,punctuated by only one high 219.

Its been different this season. Not just Sehwag,but the top-three,which includes Kevin Pietersen and Mahela Jaywardene are in top form. The bowling,led by Morne Morkel,is the most impressive on show in the tournament. Consequently,they have racked up six wins in eight matches. On the evidence of previous editions,they are just one win away from nearly sealing a berth in the next round.

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Contrast this with the Rajasthan Royals,who started well with two wins,but have picked up only four more points in the next six matches. And its hardly reassuring that they are playing back-to-back matches against the form team. As IPL V enters its business half,Rajasthan might do well to look at Sehwag and Delhi and understand that a turnaround is always around the corner. Unlike Sehwag though,they dont have time: they are fast running out of matches.

DD vs RR,Live on Set Max,4pm