His trail-blazing innings ensured India was ahead of the gameat all times, irrespective of what happened at the other end, as Indiatook the first day on points, ending on 361 for 4.
The Bulletin by Anand Vasu10-Jun-2006
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Virender Sehwag came to the party with an insatiable appetite for runs © Getty Images
Brian Lara signalled a thumbs-up when he heard the news that Trinidad &Tobago had held Sweden to a goalless draw in the football World Cup. When thefirst session of play was on, he might well have felt that West Indiescould count themselves lucky if they could salvage a draw in this game as Virender Sehwag blazed away magnificently, laying to rest any fears there might have been aboutthe pitch. His trail-blazing innings ensured India was ahead of the gameat all times, irrespective of what happened at the other end, as Indiatook the first day on points, ending on 361 for 4.The pitch was a cause for concern early on – grass as even as a badhaircut on a bald man, possible moisture under the surface, a suggestionof softness. Sehwag seemed to listen to all this guff early on. The Indian50 took as long as 10 overs. But it seemed like suddenly Sehwag realisedthat there was no Fidel Edwards gunning for his rib-cage, much less aMarshall-Garner-Holding-Roberts attack aiming to rip his heart out.The stage was set for a beauty and Sehwag came to the party with aninsatiable appetite for fun. He began by crunching the odd drive throughcover-point and soon realised he could flick aerially through midwicketwithout risk. Soon Sehwag’s momentum became India’s as he picked offboundaries at ease.In some ways, it was one over that gave Sehwag the belief that hisapproach would win the day. He had learnt some valuable lessons from theone-dayers, and some would suggest from Rudi Webster, the sports psychologist,too as he watched the ball carefully, played late, yet hit deliciouslyhard. Sehwag realised soon enough that this track was bestsuited to his brand of cricket, and that Dwayne Bravo – a player who hadnot held back the urge to have a word or seventeen during the ODIs – wasthe bowler best suited for taking on.Wasim Jaffer’s single gave Sehwag the chance to hit the cover off the ball foran on-the-rise six over long-off and reach 50. A cut to cover-point, afour through midwicket, a beastly bludgeon over midwicket, and suddenlySehwag had taken 21 off a Bravo over.What began as a schoolboy’s enthusiasm for clobbering the rowdy bowlergave way to the conquest of something larger. Only briefly, as the lunchinterval approached, did Sehwag comprehend that he was in line to becomethe first Indian, and only the fifth in history, to score a hundred beforelunch on the first day of a Test. In fact, it was not till the last overthat it became obvious he was even thinking on those lines.Given the strike by Jaffer for the last ball before the break Sehwagcharged and slammed, needing two to get to a remarkably pacy hundred. Hescrambled one, braved the run out, missed the possible overthrow, and thendisappointedly crashed bat on pad for failing to enter the record books. His 99 off 75 balls, however, had taken India to 140 for no loss at lunch.
On a day that clearly belonged to India Pedro Collins was the only West Indies bowler to redeem himself© Getty Images
When they came out to bat after lunch, with records no longer a distraction, all focus was on building the innings. Fittingly Sehwag coastedto his 12th Test hundred. But soon after the forgotten man, Jaffer,was dismissed. All along he had been the potatoes to Sehwag’s meat,reaching 43 in a substantial partnership of 159 for the first wicket.Jaffer had done his job admirably, following up his 212 in the first Test with a rock-solid43, and it was against the run of play that he followed a Pedro Collinsdelivery slanting away from him and edged to slip. VVS Laxman slashed at asimilarly-angled Collins delivery just two runs later and suddenly theforecast for a run-fest with the occasional wicket seemed misplaced.Rahul Dravid joined Sehwag and almost inconspicuously the pace of playchanged. Suddenly, in the presence of his captain, Sehwag seemed to thinkless about the blistering innings and more about a substantialpartnership. Although he still tucked in to any loose offering, Sehwagensured that he did not sell his wicket cheaply as Dravid settled into hisgroove. With no fanfare the pair piled on the runs – 139 for the thirdwicket – before Sehwag was caught unawares by a short one from, who else,Collins, and bobbed a catch back. Sehwag’s 180 had come off only 190balls, with as many as 20 fours and three sixes.Yuvraj Singh’s latest chance to earn himself a permanent place in theTest side went abegging as he spent a patient 16 balls scoring two beforehe played all over a Collins delivery. In all this, almost unnoticedDravid had spent 158 balls at the crease. He had not gone out of his wayto hit the ball, he never tried to match Sehwag, but at the end of the dayhe was well set, on 95, with twelve boundaries, several of which he hadfetched from well outside off and persuaded to the boundary with asurgeon’s care. India ended the day on 361 for 4 from 85 overs. Fans ofSehwag will be disappointed, but fans of Indian cricket will appreciatehow rarely the team manages such a score in the first innings of a Test, let alone the first day, outside the subcontinent.How they were outWasim Jaffer c Bravo b Collins 43 (159 for 1)
VVS Laxman c Ramdin b Collins 0 (161 for 2)
Virender Sehwag c & b Collins 180 (300 for 3)
Yuvraj Singh b Collins 2 (306 for 4)