Five steps for Virender Sehwag to make a roaring comeback to Indian cricket team

January 13, 2014

Virender_SehwagMumbai, Jan 13: Here are the bare facts: Virender Sehwag is 35; he sports glasses/contact lenses; he hasn’t scored a century since November 15, 2012; he has squandered starts; his last 15 outings in first-class cricket have yielded a solitary fifty; he has batted at every position from one to six and has averaged less than 20 in the Ranji Trophy this season. Simply put, the greatest Indian opener since Sunil Gavaskar is going through a torrid time.

Sehwag’s tough phase has lasted agonisingly long. When the Delhi Daredevils showed no interest in retaining him for the 2014 IPL, it would have been the lowest point in his career. Now, Sehwag looks lost and forgotten, with neither direction nor (cover) drive. For those who love him, there isn’t a more lethal batsman than Sehwag. All they want is to see him effortlessly hoick quickies all over the park, as if it was just another day in office for him. At his peak, he was credited with the fastest reflexes and the best hand-eye coordination. Is it that age has withered him or is it just lack of motivation?

Sehwag has another diverse interest now, the multi-crore Sehwag International school in Jhajjar, Haryana, where he spends a lot of time, suggesting that his mind is not fully on cricket now.

Sehwag has seldom given a damn about technique: his greatest assets are a clutter-free mind, hand-eye coordination and bat speed. Alas, those very unorthodox methods that fetched him over 8,000 runs in both forms of the game have come back to haunt him. The man who delighted fans and terrorised world-class attacks with his unique brand of daredevilry is now struggling against the most pedestrian of bowlers. But every now and then, he has scored those boundary-laced 20s and 30s, thereby keeping the spark alive.

If Sehwag wants to make a comeback, everything has to go his way –– his ageing body has to work overtime, his weakening reflexes need a serious dose of recharge; he must work harder; score runs by the bucketful and hope that the Shikhar Dhawans and M Vijays suffer a string of failures. The odds are stacked against him.

According to Pravin Amre, a technician par excellence, motivation or lack of it is the biggest factor. “To play any form of cricket, one needs to concentrate hard. And if you ask me, it is in fact tougher to motivate yourself and be focused for a first-class or club-level match than in international cricket,” says the former India batsman who has coached domestic giants Mumbai, IPL discards Pune Warriors and India cricketers Suresh Raina and Robin Uthappa.

“You can’t say Viru has a poor technique. How did he play 104 Tests then? His methods work for him. So there is no point in going about making a radical change now. All he needs to do is make little adjustments here and there. You need motivation, sincerity and a focused mind to back you,” Amre said.

Former India opener Chetan Chauhan has watched Sehwag from close quarters. Now a senior official in the Delhi and District Cricket Association, he, too, hopes Sehwag can fight the demons and stage a memorable comeback. “Work harder, play more matches, alter your back foot play, don’t go searching for the ball and trust your instinct,” is Chauhan’s advice. “The moment he starts getting runs, everything will fall into place. Runs are runs, so it doesn’t matter if you get them for your company (ONGC) or local club or state or country. He is a great player. Let’s not forget that,” Chauhan said.

Sehwag, or any player of his calibre, can do the unthinkable and have that final flourish. But it will be an uphill task. If Sehwag was as technically sound as, say, a Rahul Dravid, then he wouldn’t have been out of the Indian team for as long as 10 months. What’s more, even Delhi Daredevils, of which Sehwag was an icon player and skipper, refused to retain him ahead of the IPL-7 auction.

Mughda Bavre, a psychologist attached to the Mumbai Cricket Association, offers a different perspective. “Who are we to question his motivation levels? The very fact that he is playing domestic cricket shows that he is motivated,” she says. “When it comes to established players like Sehwag, there is no question of doubting their inner drive. You and I might believe that he as achieved everything. But we don’t really know what his goals are. Everybody is citing his age as a problem. But he may be wanting to prove everyone wrong by making a comeback at 35. The thing with high-performing individuals like Sehwag is that you can’t write them off till they decide it’s time. That he is still playing is good enough reason for me to believe that he is motivated.”

That Sehwag is still playing state and club cricket shows that one day yet again from the depths of his memory he will replay one of the grand innings that changed cricket for ever.

Vitamins for Viru

Set goals and work harder

Consult coaches and former teammates like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who played till their 40s

Play, play and play. Runs are runs... no matter where you score

Stick to strengths: make slight adjustments; don’t go for a complete overhaul in technique

Increase focus on cricket.

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News Network
May 21,2020

Mumbai, May 21: Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has chosen legendary Sachin Tendulkar over current skipper Virat Kohli as a better batsman in the ODI format, considering the changed rules of the game and the Mumbaikar's longevity of career.

Tendulkar, who retired in 2013, played 463 ODIs and amassed 18, 426 runs with 49 hundreds at an average of 44.83.

Kohli, on the other hand, has played 248 ODIs and scored 11, 867 runs with 43 tons at an average of 59.33.

"Sachin Tendulkar, because probably with one white ball and four fielders inside the circle, not five fielders outside, it will be Sachin Tendulkar for me," Gambhir said on Star Sports show 'Cricket Connected'.

Nowadays, a one-day innings is played with two white balls and with three powerplays.

In the first power play (overs 1-10), two fielders are allowed beyond the 30-yard circle, while in the second powerplay (overs 10-40) four fielders are allowed. In the last powerplay (overs 40-50), five fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle.

Gambhir, who was the star performer in 2011 ODI World Cup final which India won, feels that the change in rules has helped batsmen.

"It's difficult because Virat Kohli has done phenomenally well but I think the rules have changed as well, which has helped a lot of new batters," elaborated Gambhir, who played 58 Tests and 147 ODIs.

"The new generation, with 2 new balls, no reverse swing, nothing for the finger spin, five fielders inside for the 50 overs, probably that makes batting much easier.

He said he would also go with Tendulkar, considering his longevity and flow of the ODI cricket format at that time.

"Probably I’ll go with Sachin Tendulkar if we see the longevity and flow of the one-day cricket format.

"Look at how Sachin Tendulkar has played, different rules, that time 230 to 240, was a winning total," Gambhir signed off. 

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Agencies
July 20,2020

Vitoria, Jul 20: Lionel Messi won a record seventh top scoring title in the Spanish league after netting twice in Barcelona's 5-0 rout of Alav s in the final round.

Messi ended with 25 goals, four more than Karim Benzema, who did not score in Real Madrid's 2-2 draw at Legan s.

Messi is the first player to finish as the league's top scorer in seven different seasons. He reached the milestone despite missing games because of an injury early in the season. The Argentine's 25 goals came in 33 matches.

Messi was tied with Telmo Zarra with six scoring titles. He has also now equaled Hugo Sanchez's feat of four straight top-scorer trophies.

"Individual achievements are always secondary," Messi said on Sunday.

"I wished it could have come along with the league title."

This is also the third successive season that Messi finished with the most assists 21 in the league.

Ansu Fati, Luis Su rez and Nelson Semedo also scored Sunday for Barcelona, which had already secured second place behind Madrid.

Fati opened the scoring in the 24th minute, Messi added to the lead 10 minutes later and Su rez closed the first-half scoring in the 44th. Semedo got on the board in the 57th and Messi in the 75th to help Barcelona rebound from a 2-1 home loss to Osasuna.

"Today things were different," Messi said.

"The team showed better attitude and commitment. It was an important step forward for us ahead of what's left in the season."

Barcelona now turns its focus to its Aug. 8 home game against Napoli in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The first leg, played before the break, ended 1-1.

Barcelona coach Quique Seti n finished under pressure after the team relinquished a two-point lead over Madrid when the league resumed following the pandemic break. It was four points back before Madrid's match at Legan s.

Barcelona defender Cl ment Lenglet had to be substituted early in the second half because of an apparent muscle injury.

Alav s, sitting in 15th, had already done enough to stay up.

BAR A "B" TEAM

American winger Konrad de la Fuente scored twice as Barcelona's "B" team beat Valladolid B to keep alive its hopes of reaching the second division next season. The victory put Barcelona in the second round of the promotion playoffs.

The 19-year-old De la Fuente, who recently had his contract with Barcelona extended through the 2021-22 season, scored in each half.

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Agencies
August 5,2020

New Delhi, Aug 5: Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Harmanpreet Kaur were on Wednesday appointed as the global brand ambassadors of the WTF Sports.

Raina is also joining the brand as a Strategic Partner. WTF Sports, a fantasy sports gaming platform, was today formally launched in India and globally.

The announcement was made through a web conference with prominent cricket host, Vikram Sathaye moderating and hosting the webinar and Vinit Bhatia, Manit Parikh and Yash Kadakia Co-Founders - India and Global, WTF Sports introducing the cricketers as the Global Brand Ambassadors.

Kaur said it was a perfect fit for her and she can use her strategy and experience while playing.
"WTF Sports was the perfect fit with me, I can use strategy and my experience while playing, I've actually learnt to strategize better as I've played along. Additionally, when we were under lockdown and I couldn't really practice, it was fun to come on the platform and feel like I'm still playing," Kaur said in a statement.

On the other hand, Raina said, "It is exciting to be a part of a fantasy sports platform like WTF Sports not just as an ambassador but also as the strategic partner, it is everything that I embody and what I believe in, it's fierce, fun and competitive."

The app currently hosts three major sports, multiple playing modes, and exciting contests, ensuring that sports fans can get more skillful by letting them strategize and use their sports knowledge into rewarding behaviour.

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