Save test cricket, bring in Sehwag

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Due to Twenty20 format of cricket, format of test cricket is on the verge of extinction. Batsmen like Virender Sehwag are the ones who can save the test format. To save test cricket players like Sehwag, Gambhir, etc should be given chance to play.

CJ: Ajeet Bharti

Wed, Nov 25, 2009 09:42:48 IST

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BATSMEN LIKE Virender Sehwag are the ones who can save the test format of the game from the brink of extinction. He has scored another century, with a strike rate of 107.37, after being dropped on zero by Mahila Jayavardhene. He adapted very fast and slowed down in the initial minutes but how can one contain one's nature?

He started flying the balls and overpowered the trio of Lankan spinners. He along with Gambhir kept on scoring around eight runs per over and the ten over before the lunch yielded as many as 69 runs. The phenomenal batsman that he is has scored last eleven centuries in excess of 150 barring the current one at Kanpur, almost doubling Don Bredman's record of six straight 150+ scores.

At a time, when Twenty20 is flourishing, financially and emotionally, test needs these kinds of batsmen to bring the crowds back. India is an exception as there has never been a dearth of spectator whereas other nations fail to attract even if the tickets are free.

There are a few batsmen who have adapted to fast scoring and tried to make tests result oriented. Sehwag, Gambhir, Piterson, Machael Clarke, Chris Gayle are some who enjoy hitting out without letting the viewers feeling bored. These are the men who score fast. Sehwag has a career strike rate of around 79 in test, which more than 80 per cent of one day international batsmen yearn for!

T20 is one of the reasons of this fast paced scoring in tests. The fielding being relatively relaxed and traditional, it becomes easier for the likes of Sehwag to hit out. Remember the days when a day ended with some 200 to 250 on the board. But now it has changed. Almost all the test playing nations score roughly around four runs per over in tests. It makes the game interesting and worthy to follow.

The long spells of straight maiden overs are gone and like one-dayers, it is considered good to bowl a maiden in tests now. The statisticians are kept busy, batsmen trying all the possible shots, they have more stamina, bowlers try new things... these are the lifelines of the test matches.

Here is a list of Sehwag's test centuries (including the first innings century of Kanpur Test, 2009)

Number	Runs	Match	Against	City/Country	Year
1	105	1	South Africa	Bloemfontein, South Africa	2001
2	106	7	England	Nottingham, England	2002
3	147	10	West Indies	Mumbai, India	2002
4	130	16	New Zealand	Mohali, India	2003
5	195	19	Australia	Melbourne, Australia	2003
6	309	21	Pakistan	Multan, Pakistan	2004
7	155	25	Australia	Chennai, India	2004
8	164	28	South Africa	Kanpur, India	2004
9	173	32	Pakistan	Mohali, India	2005
10	201	34	Pakistan	Bangalore, India	2005
11	254	40	Pakistan	Lahore, Pakistan	2006
12	180	47	West Indies	Gros Islet, St Lucia	2006
13	151	54	Australia	Adelaide, Australia	2008
14	319	55	South Africa	chennai, India	2008
15	201	59	Sri Lanka	Galle, Sri Lanka	2008
16	131	71	Sri Lanka	Kanpur, India	2009

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