Delhi Daredevils
vs
Deccan Chargers
at Centurion - May 22, 2009 (16:30 local, 14:30 GMT)
live online IPLT20 cricket
Live Scorecard
vs
Deccan Chargers
at Centurion - May 22, 2009 (16:30 local, 14:30 GMT)
live online IPLT20 cricket
Live Scorecard
One of the biggest let-downs of the current IPL had been Virender Sehwag's silence with the bat. Today's dead game was the opportunity to get back into some form before the knock-out stage. Would he be slightly restrained? Or would he be the Sehwag we know? In the end, it was a mixture of the two. It was not a matter of settling down before he got going; that's not in his character. So, while he never tried to go after Harbhajan Singh, he let loose against the likes of Dhawal Kulkarni. It wasn't a free-flowing knock but, by the end, there were signs of his old touch.
His loss of form was belied by the first five balls he faced, which fetched him three boundaries - the highlight being a punchy cover drive. It wasn't a surprise, it was in character. Harbhajan came on immediately after that and another question arose: Would Sehwag go after him? Harbhajan flighted them up and kept them full, inviting the big slog-sweep or the inside-out drive Sehwag is famous for against spinners. Sehwag didn't take the bait; he chose to defend. Only once did he try to back away to cut but inside-edged it away. This was surprising but showcased his desire to hit form before the big games.
There was a moment against Abhishek Nayar that hinted at his problem. In the Sehwag world, problems doesn't translate to being scoreless; he never allows himself to be strangled. Rather it was in the intent to break free with big hits that one spotted the problem. He tried to cart Nayar over cow corner but ended up with a heave, a drag, towards deep midwicket for a single. He was going too hard in his shots and clearly hadn't shaken off the effects of the injury he picked up earlier in the tournament. He stood at the non-striker's end and repeatedly practised his bat swing.
Sehwag carries a perception that he doesn't think too much about his batting. His batting style and, importantly, his aggressive mindset regardless of the situation give off that impression. But the perception couldn't be more wrong. He works hard and long in the nets, though he makes it look like a lark. Sometimes he hums a song while playing the spinners. Almost throughout the session, though, he will ask the bowlers to tell him the simulated field-settings and the match situation and will play according to it. While batting, he says, his mind remains blank. That's not the state of mind of an unthinking cricketer but that of a man extremely keen to stay in the ideal state of mind while preparing to face the ball.
His loss of form was belied by the first five balls he faced, which fetched him three boundaries - the highlight being a punchy cover drive. It wasn't a surprise, it was in character. Harbhajan came on immediately after that and another question arose: Would Sehwag go after him? Harbhajan flighted them up and kept them full, inviting the big slog-sweep or the inside-out drive Sehwag is famous for against spinners. Sehwag didn't take the bait; he chose to defend. Only once did he try to back away to cut but inside-edged it away. This was surprising but showcased his desire to hit form before the big games.
There was a moment against Abhishek Nayar that hinted at his problem. In the Sehwag world, problems doesn't translate to being scoreless; he never allows himself to be strangled. Rather it was in the intent to break free with big hits that one spotted the problem. He tried to cart Nayar over cow corner but ended up with a heave, a drag, towards deep midwicket for a single. He was going too hard in his shots and clearly hadn't shaken off the effects of the injury he picked up earlier in the tournament. He stood at the non-striker's end and repeatedly practised his bat swing.
Sehwag carries a perception that he doesn't think too much about his batting. His batting style and, importantly, his aggressive mindset regardless of the situation give off that impression. But the perception couldn't be more wrong. He works hard and long in the nets, though he makes it look like a lark. Sometimes he hums a song while playing the spinners. Almost throughout the session, though, he will ask the bowlers to tell him the simulated field-settings and the match situation and will play according to it. While batting, he says, his mind remains blank. That's not the state of mind of an unthinking cricketer but that of a man extremely keen to stay in the ideal state of mind while preparing to face the ball.
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