On This Day: Virender Sehwag Made his test debut in 2001

On This Day: Virender Sehwag Made his test debut in 2001: Exactly 14-years back on this day; the first test between India Versus South Africa was underway at the bouncy track of Bloemfontein. It was Day 1, Shaun Pollock decided to field first on winning the toss forcing Indian cricket team to bat first. Indian squad had no regular openers; SM Das and Rahul Dravid had to open in test matches.

Some fiery bowling spells from Pollock and Hayward didn’t allow Indian batsmen to play shots against them. Eventually, Dass (9), Dravid (2) and Laxman (32) got out at cheap scores bringing master blaster Sachin Tendulkar on field.

Something more interesting was there. Debutant Virender Sehwag was playing his first ever international test and that too against the mighty Pollock and co. But fearless Sehwag played brilliantly alongside Sachin and the duo soon added 220-runs for the 5th wicket partnership. Both Sachin Tendulkar (155) and Virender Sehwag (105) scored amazingly against the Proteas’ game plan and attacking field hitting some unconventional upper cuts at the third man region for boundaries.

Though, India lost this test but they already got the permanent solution to their opening combination. Following Sehwag’s spectacular century on debut, he got an opener’s slot in Indian squad and since then he never looked back. The rest is history as Sehwag not only emerged as the explosive test opener but a true match winner as well. His ability to play fast at tests made him unique and unpredictable.

It won’t be wrong to say that it was only Virender Sehwag who could score runs in test matches at strike rate of more than 100 and that too on regular basis. He knew it best how to put the pressure back on the bowlers from the very first delivery of the match.

Amongst Virender Sehwag’s various vibrant knocks as an opener in tests, his 195 against Australia in Melbourne, 309 against Pakistan, 319 against South Africa and 293 against Sri Lanka are some of the finest centuries that ‘Najafgarh ka Nawab’ hit in the longer format of the game. Only 2 triple tons have been made by an Indian and on both occasions it was Virender Sehwag who successfully took his scores beyond 300.

Brief Score Card

India Vs South Africa; Bloemfontein Test (2001)

1st Innings
India: 379 (Tendulkar 155, Sehwag 105; Pollock 4/91)
South Africa: 563 (Klusener 108, Gibbs 107; Srinath 5/140)

2nd Innings
India: 237 (Das 62, Sehwag 31; Pollock 6/56)
South Africa: 54 (Kirsten 30 Not Out)

Result: South Africa won the match by 9 wickets
Man of the Match: Shaun Pollock

Watch: Virender Sehwag’s Spectacular ton against South Africa in his 1st international test: