4 Opening batsmen who changed the course of Test match batting

#4 Virender Sehwag (2001-2013)

Few batsmen in the history of the game have changed the way at which Test match batting especially in Indian Cricket. None better than Virender Sehwag.

Few batsmen in the history of the game have changed the way at which Test match batting especially in Indian Cricket. None better than Virender Sehwag.

Sehwag started his career as a middle-order batsman and celebrated his Test debut with a scintillating 105 at Bloemfontein against the likes of Donald, Pollock, and Ntini. But his success as an ODI opener prompted Ganguly to push Sehwag the Delhi marauder to the opening slot against England in the summer of 2002; the rest as they say his history.

A hundred in Trent Bridge was followed by a 195 at the MCG (2003), 309 at Multan which led to him being designated as the 'Multan of Sultan'.With Sehwag it was not about the Brobdingnagian numbers, it was about the pace at which he got 'em.

The erstwhile notion of seeing off the new ball and giving respect to the bowlers as well as conditions was defied by the Nawab of Najafgarh and accentuated as to how a modern opening batsman could bat.

While he may have scored a multitude of triple and double hundreds, the sheer value and the impact Sehwag was for the Indian team was exemplified to the hilt when he scored an enthralling 83 off 68 balls against England in December 2008.

India was faced with an incredibly difficult target of 387 on a typical fourth day Chennai turned. But Sehwag threw caution to the wind and hammered a breathtaking 83 and all of a sudden, India were right back into the game. India went on to win the game on the last day thanks to a Tendulkar 100, and Sehwag was deservingly declared 'Player of the Match'.

Sehwag bowed out of Test cricket in 2013 following an extended lean patch but not before he's enthralled the cricketing fans with.