The curators at Chepauk wouldn’t be surprised to find some blades of burnt grass at the end of fourth day of the 1st test between India and England. They’d recall finding similar stuff when India last played a Test here. There was something common on both the occasions. Not with the matchstick but a dreaded piece of a willow in the hands of a man less famously known as the Multan Marauder or Nawab of Najafgarh. And for all that glorious cuts- uppish and square, the man under focus is the innocent soft-spoken-yet-demolishing Virender Sehwag!
Team India was clearly nowhere near the mark for the first three days. Perhaps the Mumbai affliction had hit us hard. A tinge of rust on the attitude was almost noticeable. Having conceded a crucial lead of 75, the English had slipped from 43-3 to 172-3 at stumps on Day 3. An air of defeat loomed large and we hoped to salvage a well-saved draw. True, Kirsten was confident, but that sounded a bit too optimistic. That was till Sehwag came out to bat.
Earlier on the 4th day, England had crawled woefully in the 2nd session to notch a paltry 57 in 22.5 overs. As if to remind them of what scoring rate is in conventional sense, and what it could be during his reign, Sehwag started flaying the wood at leather in his singular fashion. On Sunday noon, Chepauk was the place to be; with the deafening decibel cheer of the crowd resonating with the bat speed of Sehwag, as the ball made several trips down the ground, on the offs, off the legs and an aerial route for change. The delightful hits were the on their ground journey, the off-side being the most preferred direction. The flight became a regular spectacle, not off the bowlers’ hands but off the bat, with as many as four of them being sent straight to the throngs watching in awe. As KP watched, he’d have felt philosophical of the afflictions faced by bowlers who wither under the Sehwag agony. That is our Viru in his zone, a zone that is completely his own. On one instance, as Cricinfo put it, “A full toss from Monty Panesar was clipped through midwicket so precisely that the fieldsmen running across the rope met each other just as the ball squeezed past them and over.” Elsewhere on the screen, something read,
“ 11.2. Panesar to Sehwag, SIX, it’s so easy for him, just sizes up the length and goes downtown against the spin with a stunning six over long-on, man oh man oh man....”
57 runs were up by the 38th delivery of the innings. There’s nothing much a bowler can do under such circumstances. Neither the history of the game nor the reputation of the bowler matters; either great accuracy or Sehwag’s misfortune can bring an end to such electrifying drama. Talk of bowling, Sehwag’s here for the grind.
Eventually, when he got out after a swashbuckling assault of 83 off 68, talks of a memorable Indian victory had gained momentum on and off the cricketing arena. The job was done, and perhaps, in the best possible way. Some balls were lost and some were torn. This was an innings which undid the effort of the team which remained on top for 10 sessions of the test.
An exact contrast to the theory of non-violence. The English would stop learning history after this.
This was the Test that will be remembered for many reasons other than cricket. There are few Tests which have no losers and this was an example of one such contest. The English know that it is their courage and the belief in Indian values which brings them here. We, as Indians, are mighty grateful to the trust they instilled in us, to bail us out of the dark terror-struck times. It’s great to see them cooperate with us to revive the class of Test cricket, perhaps at the time when it required the most. England can take solace in the fact that it is their presence here, which heals us and restores normalcy. People are talking cricket again. Sachin is playing for the nation more than ever. Can there ever be a better revival? This is the Test of the times. Cheer up England. Well done India. You guys contrived well to present me a high successful chase as my birthday gift.
