Virender Sehwag reveals what he said to Sourav Ganguly before making his Test debut as an opener

If we talk about Indian Test cricket, no two openers have proceeded to achieve the success that they have at the highest level than Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag. Both individuals came from a different school of thoughts and yet were might effective in their own ways. While Sunil Gavaskar was an epitome of patience and perseverance, who believed in getting the ball old by leaving it, Sehwag, on the other hand, believed in getting it old by smoking it all corners of the ground.

Sehwag initially started a middle-order batsman who came into the side on the back of his all-round skills, went on to become one of the greatest Test openers that the world has ever seen. Sehwag made his Test debut while batting in the middle-order against South Africa in Bloemfontein back in 2001 and immediately showed his penchant for red-ball cricket when he pulverized the famed Protea attack to all corners of the ground.

But, with the Indian middle-order packed to the rafters, Sehwag would find himself consigned to the bench. It all changed during India’s 2002 tour of England when Sourav Ganguly decided to push the Delhi batsman to the top of the order. And, the rest as they is history.

Virender Sehwag also opined on four-day Tests

Sehwag was recently invited to deliver the M.A.K Pataudi lecture during BCCI’s annual awards ceremony where he revealed the one thing that he asked Sourav Ganguly before opening the batting for the first time in England.

Sehwag revealed, “There is one man who asked me to open the innings in Tests some 17-18 years ago. I wasn’t nervous then as for me, there’s wasn’t much difference between playing in the middle order and opening the innings. I had put forward a request to Dada then – which was, if I failed as a Test opener, he would give me another chance,” as quoted by Times Now.

At the same event, Virender Sehwag also echoed the thoughts of several other cricketers who have voiced their opinions against four-day Tests.

The explosive India opener, in his typical manner, said: “Diaper and five-day Tests should only be changed when it’s finished, when it can’t be used anymore. Five-day Test is not finished. Test cricket is a 143-year old fit person. It has a soul. ‘Char din ki sirf chandni hi hoti hai….Test cricket nahin”

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