Ranji Trophy: Virender Sehwag races to another ton
Coming in at 28/2, Sehwag steadies Delhi on a lively Lahli track before blazing to an unbeaten 147.
At stumps on Day 1, Virender Sehwag (L)held fort with unbeaten on 147. (Express photo by Vishal Menon)
As Virender Sehwag approached his century, word about his exploits began to do the rounds. Spectators began to fill the stands at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Stadium by the end of the second session of this Group B Ranji match between Delhi and Haryana. Chants of ‘Viru, Viru’ resounded through the stadium.
Though he plays for Delhi, Sehwag’s rustic charm endears the batsman from Najafgarh to people from this part of the world where dusty roads and mustard fields greet you as you leave Rohtak and approach Lahli.
This is a small town where heroes are revered. When Sachin Tendulkar played a Ranji Trophy game here ahead of his swansong series, they had thronged to the stadium. On Monday the presence of Sehwag at the wicket was the occasion.
The former India Test opener stamped his class with his second consecutive century this Ranji season. Fresh from his 105 against a hapless Gujarat side at the Ferozshah Kotla last week, Sehwag continued his rich vein of form against a pretty competent Haryana seam attack on a green top after Delhi were put into bat.
Batting at No.4, Sehwag walked in with Delhi reeling at 28 for two. At stumps on Day 1, he held fort with unbeaten on 147, with seventeen hits to the fence. In between, he treated the crowd, who had braved the January chill, to a wide array of shots, some unorthodox, some others which only Sehwag could have pulled off on a track that also had uneven bounce.
The home crowd knew Sehwag’s counterattack had foiled the good work done by the seamers, especially Joginder Sharma. They didn’t care. They had come to support their hero. He may not be in the reckoning for the World Cup. They still didn’t care. They were happy to witness the remarkable stroke-play.
The beauty of his innings was the manner in which he paced it. Starting sedately, he gave utmost respect to Joginder and Co. who were swinging it in helpful conditions. After his ton, he opened up playing the most attractive square cuts and punches through the off side. He even hit some lusty blows and his trademark flat-batted shots.
However, whenever a good delivery was bowled, he was prepared to let it go. He, however, kept the scoreboard ticking. When boundaries were hard to come by, Sehwag would find gaps at will and would calmly collect ones and twos.
In the 70th over, he stood tall and cracked a Joginder Sharma delivery through the covers. Not a soul moved. Sehwag’s partner, Punit Bisht, just raised his bat to applaud his senior’s efforts, while Delhi’s wrecker-in-chief, Joginder, went back to his run-up scratching his head. That moment just summed up Day 1 at Lalhi.
The home side did most things right after asking the opposition to take first strike on a juicy wicket. For the first time, this season, Haryana managed to humble the in-form Delhi batting line-up, reducing it to 4/41 on the opening session. However, it was Sehwag who was an irritant for Harshal Patel’s side. They did not have an answer to his onslaught. Sehwag did get a life on 86, when Patel dropped a sitter at mid-off of the bowling of Sachin Rana.
This was perhaps the only chance the hosts had of dismissing Delhi’s talismanic player. In the midst of the ruins in the opening session, Sehwag found an ally in Rajat Bhatia, who provided the ideal foil to the former India opener’s unorthodoxy. The duo stitched 186 runs in 44.5 overs for the fifth wicket to bail the visitors to safety. Bhatia was eventually bowled off a beauty by Patel for 72 towards the fag end of the day, but the job was done. A few late strikes later, when stumps were eventually drawn, the game was delicately poised with Delhi at 278/7.
Brief Scores: Delhi 278/7 in 83 overs (V Sehwag 147 n.o., R Bhatia 72, J Sharma 3/39) vs Haryana.
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