Virender Sehwag recently shared a story that shows even the most confident players can be affected by negative comments.
The former Indian opener, famous for his aggressive batting and dominance over bowlers, recalled how a conversation with then coach Greg Chappell once got to him during a tough phase of his career.
Greg Chappel warning
On The Life Savers Show, Sehwag said Chappell told him straight up, If you don’t move your feet, you won’t score runs. Sehwag who had a lot of faith in himself, reminded the coach about his past record. He said he had already scored more than 6000 runs with an average of over 50. But Chappell didn’t budge and just said, Doesn’t matter.
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The conversation turned into an argument and then captain Rahul Dravid had to intervene. Sehwag was annoyed because Chappell was putting pressure on him just before his innings, Make sure you score or I’ll drop you.
Argument turned into motivation
Instead of getting upset Sehwag used those words to motivate himself. Later that day he went out to bat with a determination and by the end of the second session he had scored 184. This performance silenced all doubts and showed why he was considered one of India’s most feared openers. After that he was still angry and told Dravid, Tell your coach not to come near me.
Sehwag didn’t mention which match this was but it seems it was the 2006 Test match against West Indies at Gros Islet. In that game Sehwag scored 180, Dravid 140 and Kaif 148* and India declared at 588/8. The match was a draw.
International career
Sehwag’s career was built on this fearless attitude. From his ODI debut in 1999 he changed the way India approached opening batting and turned the initial runs into match winning performances through pure aggression.In Tests he scored 8856 runs in 104 games at 49.34. 23 centuries and 2 triple hundreds, the first Indian to do so. In ODIs he scored 8273 runs in 251 games with 15 centuries, including his then record 219 against West Indies in 2011, the highest individual score in ODIs at that time. Besides the numbers Sehwag was part of India’s memorable wins in 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 World Cup where his quick starts would set the tone for success.
Sehwag’s career is a story of how confidence and a strong mind can lead to great success even when faced with criticism and pressure. His aggressive style and ability to perform under stress made him one of India’s most loved cricketers. People will remember him not just for his runs and records but for his spirit and the way he approached the game.
