Anil Kumble’s Advice To Sehwag: Former Indian opening batsman Virender Sehwag, like other power hitters, did have been through a rough patch in his career in the longest format. He recently disclosed that he’d have to surpass it with the support of captain Anil Kumble in 2007, and it was at this time that he played his best cricket.
In the first 2 Tests that India played versus Australia during their 2007 tour, Sehwag wasn’t given the opportunity to play, and he had to earn his spot in the team for the last 2 matches. In the match that served as a warm-up for the Perth Test, Sehwag made a century vs an ACT invitation XI team, which ultimately contributed to his being selected for the match itself.
The 43-year-old batsman got over to a promising start in the 3rd Test, which was held in Perth, and he closed the campaign with a 60 and 151 in the final Test, which occurred in Adelaide. These scores ensured that his spot in the squad would be secure for a great deal of time. After he completed the 2007 portion of his career, he went on to score a total of 8586 runs over 104 tests with an avg of 49.3 and earned another triple century.
I got confidence from Ganguly in my initial years and from Kumble later: Sehwag
“Suddenly, I realized I was not part of the Test side; it hurt. I would have ended with 10,000+ Test runs had I not been dropped for that period,” said Sehwag in an Interaction.
“Those 60 runs were the toughest I scored in my life. I was playing to repay the faith Anil Bhai put in me. I did not want anyone to question him for bringing me to Australia. I was focused on the striker’s end; on the other end, I spoke to the umpire, humming my favorite songs. The pressure was gone,” added the 43-years-old.
Sehwag believed that he’d be able to enter the 10,000-run fraternity in Tests if he hadn’t been sidelined during the time of 2007 and disclosed the statements of Anil Kumble well before the Perth Test match. He continued by saying that the knock-in match in Adelaide was the most difficult of his career because he had to demonstrate his worth to everyone and return the confidence that the captain, Kumble, had placed in him.
“As long as I am the Test team captain, you will not be dropped from the side. That’s what a player yearns for the most, the confidence of his captain. I got that from Ganguly in my initial years and from Kumble later,” added the Nawab of Najafgarh.
Sehwag claimed that Kumble’s promise to keep him in the playing XI till he became the captain was essential in reviving his Test career. He also added that Kumble made the promise to him.
