Happy Birthday Virender Sehwag: 5 Mind-Boggling Innings by the ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ as He Turns 41

Former Indian batsman Virender Sehwag celebrates his 41st birthday on Sunday. Born on October 20, 1978, the swashbuckling opener was an explosive batsman and has dismantled many prominent bowling-line ups in his magnificent career. Regarded as one of the most destructive batsmen of all time, the 'Nawab of Najafgarh' had a knack of hitting the first ball to the boundary. Be it Test, ODIs or T20s, Sehwag played his each and every innings with the same intent and still has a phenomenal record in all the formats of the game. Viru has played many match-defining knocks in his illustrious career and we will be focusing on five such innings. Virender Sehwag Wishes Anil Kumble on His 49th Birthday, Apologises to the Former Leg-Spinner for Depriving Him of His Second Test Century (See Post).

Virender Sehwag made his international debut on April 1999 and tormented the bowlers for over a decade. The opener featured in 104 Test matches- amassing 8586 runs with 23 centuries. Sehwag is also the only Indian to register two triple hundreds in the longest format of the game. In ODIs, the former has mustered 8273 runs in 251 matches which includes 15 centuries. Sehwag also has 394 runs in 19 T20 Internationals. Talking about his records, let's look at five astounding knocks by the Indian great. Sourav Ganguly Appointed BCCI President, 'Great Signs for Indian Cricket', Says Virender Sehwag.

309 Against Pakistan in Multan

The opening Test of India's 2004 Tour of Pakistan witnessed the first triple-century by an Indian batsman in Test cricket. Batting first, Sehwag took the opposition by storm and toiled the Inzamam-ul-Haq led side in their own backyard. The opener scored 309 runs as India piled up 675 runs in the first innings. In reply, the hosts failed to put up a fight and lost the match by an innings and 52 runs.

319 Against South Africa in Chennai

In the first Test of South Africa's 2008 tour of India, Sehwag played a gem of an innings and registered the fast triple century (278 balls) in Test cricket. South Africa batted first in the match and registered a mammoth total of 540 runs. In reply, Sehwag opened the innings for India and smashed the likes of Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn. The latter registered his second 300 plus score in Test as India plundered 627 runs in the second innings. The match, although, resulted in a tie but Sehwag's bagged the Man of the Match award for his blistering knock.

219 Against West Indies in Indore

After a dismal outing in the first three ODIs of West Indies' 2011 Tour of India, Sehwag made a remarkable comeback in the fourth clash and played a ferocious knock. Leading the side in the absence of MS Dhoni, Sehwag attacked the Caribbean bowlers from the first ball and rained boundaries and sixes. The right-handed batsman played a breathtaking innings and notched up the second-ever ODI double-ton at that time. Sehwag's 219 is still the highest score by a captain in ODIs. Riding on Sehwag's carnage, India mustered 418 runs in the first innings and later clinched the match by 153 runs.

175 Against Bangladesh in Dhaka

The opening match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 witnessed a Sehwag special. Bangladesh's decision of fielding first after winning the toss completely backfired as Sehwag played a terrific knock and left the opposition awestruck. The Indian opener scored runs for fun and registered a sensational ton. Sehwag scored 175 runs and guided the Men in Blue to 370 runs in the first innings. The total proved to be too much for the hosts as they lost the match by 87 runs.

151 Against Australia in Adelaide

On a pace-friendly Adelaide wicket, Sehwag displayed great resilience and played an innings opposite of his character. In the fourth Test of India's Tour of Australia, the opener played a gritty knock and proved his mettle. Unlike other days, Sehwag didn't attack the bowlers from the outset and scored a well-compiled century in the third innings of the match. The match, however, resulted in a tie but the fans witnessed the other side of Sehwag.

The opener bid adieu to the game in 2015 and many bowlers around the world got relief. Post-retirement Sehwag served as a commentator and coach. The former was Kings XI Punjab’s mentor in the Indian Premier League and was also in contention to become India’s head coach. Apart from that, Sehwag is also known for his wit and humour and entertains the fans with his commentary and social media posts.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 20, 2019 07:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).