Time for Sehwag to show his stuff

If ever there was a time for Virender Sehwag to make good on his potential, to silence the doubters who habitually gather outside his door, ...

If ever there was a time for Virender Sehwag to make good on his potential, to silence the doubters who habitually gather outside his door, it is now. A depressing, disappointing Asia Cup can be redeemed when India most need it.

In a year when he became India’s first Test triple centurion, Sehwag had every right to believe he could score the first-ever ODI double. So far in this tournament he hasn’t looked like getting anywhere close to it — despite the fact that he has had two relatively easy games against UAE and Bangladesh — where a record was begging to be broken.

Instead, the Najafgarh lad has netted just 37 runs from his four games. Look at the manner of his dismisals (see box) and there appears to be a touch of arrogance, casualness even, involved. Even on the field Sehwag has been found wanting and appears at times to be lost in the deep or in the slips.

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His loss of form has upset the usually fluent Sehwag-Sachin jugalbandi, which has had a domino effect on the rest of the batting — deprived of the usual flying start — and consequently India have lost to Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

On Tuesday, the Delhi opener has more responsbility than ever because he has now featured in eight straight games without a 50. His last big knock was a 79 against Pakistan at Karachi in the first match of that series.

Since then it’s been all downhill. In fact last season — despite the triple — was patchy with one hundred and two fifties from 17 ODIs.

Can Viru get out of this rut? Yes he can. But for that he just has jog back to November 2003, when India were facing a similair predicament. Faced with a similar situation against New Zealand at Hyderabad, it was Sehwag who bludgeoened the Kiwis with a blistering 130 to lead India into final against Australia at Kolkata.

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The Delhi opener has been criticised over the last couple of years and has been written off a number of times. Yet he keeps coming back to disprove his critics.

Proof enough that he now has a Test century at a bouncing MCG, a moving Oval, a fast Bloemfontein (SA) and to top it all a treble on a flat Multan. So once again it is time for Sehwag to prove that he is indeed a man for all seasons.

MODE OF DISMISSALS DURING THE ASIA CUP

0 vs UAE (run out) : Turned the ball towards the square leg, and ran down the wicket for a non-existent single. By the time he causally turned around to make the crease, the stumps were down by Naeemuddin Aslam

37 vs Sri Lanka (run out): Played the ball down to the third man, with Zoysa having tired legs after a long spell, Sehwag decided to take him on. But again the Najafgarh lad was beaten to the post by a direct accurate throw

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16 vs Bangladesh (c Alok Kapali b Tareq Aziz): Started again with a flourish but again played one too many shot. Reached for the ball and just guided it straight to the point

1 vs Pakistan (c Moin b Shabbir): The ball just moved away ever so slightly enough to make the batsman play at it and guide into the hands of a gleeful wicketkeeper

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