ICC World T-20: The man we miss watching play!

Like a typical Indian cricket fan, I am upset!

Yes, to watch the team lose and get kicked out is no happy sight. Looking at the current state of the “Men in Blue” in the tournament, we all know that Team India is virtually out of the world cup. Whether or not this actually happens will depend on Australia’s face off with the Caribbean storm. If the Kangaroos continue their unbeaten streak and, if West Indies fall below India with regard to the Net Run Rate, there is hope!

Gautam Gambhir has ran out of form in the absence of his partner.

Gautam Gambhir once said he will miss his opening partner in the ICC World Twenty20, before going to the Caribbean. Now, I believe every Indian fan is doing the same. Despite being fully loaded with potential batsmen in the lineup, India still lacks the fire and the passion that is needed in this format of the game. That fire is what I call the “atom bomb” of the team – Virender Sehwag.

Sehwag’s mere presence in the top order, coupled with his explosive batting sends shivers down the bowlers’ spine. When he comes to bat, the opposition is extra cautious with their bowling. Such is his aura on the field. He is a powerful and dominating player in all forms of the game and has always lived up to his caliber. Yes, there have been rough patches in his career graph. Well, who is perfect? I will not hesitate to say that he’s very much the backbone of Indian batting.

Watching him play is a pleasure; his shots are exhilarating and classy! Once he gets going, he is unstoppable. It was in the years 1999 and 2001, that Viru made his debut for the Indian ODI and test team respectively, and since then there has been no looking back for this Delhi boy.

Virender Sehwag's explosive batting sends shivers into the opposition's camp

India’s main concern at this stage, apart from the bowling attack, is the opening combination, because what matters in T20 is how strong the team starts, and that totally depends on their opening batsmen. Gambhir’s poor form continues from the IPL. Murali Vijay is relatively inexperienced at the international level. Unfortunately, he has not been able to carry forward his impressive form. To step into the shoes of someone like Sehwag is surely not an easy job. There couldn’t have been a better opportunity for Vijay to prove his worth than this. His task as an opener, partnering the likes of Gambhir is to get India to a good start, which he has miserably failed at.

This is exactly where Viru’s experience comes into play. The duo of Sehwag – Gambhir does it perfectly. Somehow, the current opening pair is uncomfortable with each other and directly or indirectly that is costing the team several matches. It is difficult, no doubt, to adjust with a new partner and Gambhir faces the same problem with Vijay.

I agree that it will take time for Vijay to settle in the team. But, in a fast – paced circuit like the Twenty20, time does not wait for anyone. The damage has already been done.

In my personal opinion, there is no replacement for someone like Sehwag, there can never be. It is hard to imagine team India’s batting lineup without this backbone!

We miss watching him play!

Get well soon Viru. Here’s wishing you a speedy recovery.