Sehwag repeats Multan magic again …

It was a double delight of unprecedented aggression as Virender Sehwag destroyed the South Africans to score a fantastic unbeaten 218 as India went into the tea break on the third day of the first Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here at 309 for one off 70 overs. Rahul Dravid was unbeaten on 10, incredible in the fact that the second wicket stand was of 96 runs at the break.

This was his fourth double-century, which put him in an elite club of Indians who had score four or more, the others being Dravid (five), Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. As with his century earlier, Sehwag is not one to wait in the 90’s. He swung Makhaya Ntini over square-leg for six to reach 199 from 193, and next ball was hit towards mid-on for three more. Later he hit another six off Ntini, which was the signature of his disdain and domination.

It was Sehwag all the way. There was absolutely nothing that the visitors could do to stop him as he played shots at will, and the gaps in the field began looking bigger with every shot. Landmarks came and passed through like an express train as he peppered the off-side with one boundary after the other.

While it could be said that the pitch did nothing for the South Africans, it still needs tremendous focus, not to mention stamina, to keep playing shots like Sehwag did, and it was always a one-man show, and almost everything he hit, stayed hit.

There were others in the drama, but they had nothing more than walk-through parts, and even decent scores began to look like very modest contributions. Wasim Jaffer departed after scoring 73 runs.

Sehwag created a 213-run stand with Jaffer, registered his 10th 150-plus score, overtook his best at Chennai and flashed past his highest against South Africa, which soon became the highest-ever by an Indian, as he surpassed Tendulkar’s 169, scored at Cape Town in 1996-97. Records kept tumbling like the South African fielders, barely being able to keep up with his pace.

Sehwag’s century, his 14th in 55 Tests, came off 116 balls in 199 minutes with 5 boundaries and a six. He is not one who waits in the 90s living a worried life. A lofted drive for four through mid-wicket off Jacques Kallis took him to 99 from 95, and then another one, two balls later and this time over long-off, took him past the magic mark. This partnership was also the highest shared by these two batsmen.

Sehwag's innings in short :

The Indians resumed where they had left off on Thursday, as runs began coming right from the morning. The South African bowlers got a few outside edges, but nothing was close to a catch, and this modern technique of not having a third man resulted in scores of runs coming as boundaries from that area.

The fast bowlers realised soon that this was not pitch to bounce the batsmen as even Jaffer began pulling the ball. However, the side was never famed for variety, either in the type of bowlers they have, or the variations these bowlers are capable of.

There were others in the drama, but they had nothing more than walk-through parts, and even decent scores began to look like very modest contributions. Wasim Jaffer departed after scoring 73 runs.

The Delhi batsman created a 213-run stand with Wasim Jaffer registered his 10th 150-plus score, overtook his best at Chennai and flashed past his highest against South Africa, which soon became the highest-ever by an Indian, as he surpassed Tendulkar’s 169, scored at Cape Town in 1996-97. Records kept tumbling like the South African fielders, barely being able to keep up with his pace.

Sehwag’s century, his 14th in 55 Tests, came off 116 balls in 199 minutes with 5 boundaries and a six. He is not one who waits in the 90’s living a worried life. A lofted drive for four through mid-wicket off Jacques Kallis took him to 99 from 95, and then another one, two balls later and this time over long-off, took him past the magic mark. This partnership was also the highest shared by these two batsmen.

Jaffer is not built to sustain attacking strokes for too long. But he was also in a pretty picture, since with the track offering nothing to the South Africans, he had the freedom of picking and choosing which deliveries to play, though it must be said that he did edge quite a few, and on a pitch with more purpose, one or more would have been catches.

Bu they were not, and he played on sedately, reaching his 50 off 107 balls, and not looking in any sort of trouble whatsoever.

The South Africans, to their credit, fielded very well. In the searing heat, which can sap you while you stand, they ran and threw themselves all over. The score could well have been 30-40 more had they been lax in the field. But unfortunately, that is the only thing they were allowed to do well.