During a turbulent period for the Indian cricket team, the then head coach Greg Chappell was a source of significant controversy. Known for his constant chopping and changing of the team's lineup, Chappell's tenure was marked by internal conflict. One of the key players from that era, Virender Sehwag, recently shared a heated exchange he had with the coach.
Sehwag recounted an incident where Chappell threatened to drop him from the team. The tension arose because Sehwag was not following Chappell's specific instructions. The coach warned Sehwag that he would lose his place in the side if he didn't adhere to his advice and score runs. The situation escalated to the point where then-captain Rahul Dravid had to intervene to de-escalate the argument.
Virender Sehwag recalls big fight with Greg Chappell
Though he retired from international cricket 11 years ago, Sehwag is still celebrated as one of the most destructive batters in the history of the sport. His 'see ball, hit ball' approach made him a fan favorite and established him as arguably India's greatest Test opener since Sunil Gavaskar. In 2004, he became the first Indian to score a triple century in Tests, a monumental achievement he repeated four years later against South Africa. While he may have just missed the 10,000-run milestone in Test cricket, his impact on the game and his contributions to Indian cricket go far beyond mere statistics.
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The second half of 2005 brought a period of significant upheaval for the Indian team with the arrival of new coach Greg Chappell. His tenure, following the departure of John Wright, was meant to be a turning point, but it instead led to widespread controversy and conflict. Chappell's time as coach saw several high-profile clashes with players. Notably, captain Sourav Ganguly was dropped, and Sachin Tendulkar was reportedly asked to take over the captaincy just six months before the 2007 World Cup. The coach also publicly questioned the place of other senior players, including Harbhajan Singh and VVS Laxman, and even Sehwag was not exempt from this scrutiny.
"Greg Chappell’s words hurt me. There was a time when I wasn't scoring runs, and he told me, 'if you don’t move your feet, you won’t score runs at the international level. I replied back saying, 'Greg, I have scored 6000 runs in Test cricket at an average of more than 50'. He said it doesn’t matter and again told me if I don’t move my feet, I won’t score runs. We had a big argument. Rahul Dravid, who was the captain then, had to separate us. The next day, when I was going to bat, he said, 'Make sure you score runs; otherwise, I will drop you.' I was like, 'Do whatever you want'. Imagine a batter is going to bat, and that's the kind of thing he hears from the coach," Sehwag said on The Life Saver podcast.
"When I took strike, I started smashing the ball and reached 99 runs before lunch. When I was entering the dressing room, Dravid was standing there. I told him, 'Tell you coach not to come near me.' I had my lunch, and after returning, I continued batting. I was out close to tea after scoring 184. Then I looked at him [Chappell] standing in a corner and told him, 'Doesn’t matter if I move my feet or not, I know how to score runs'," he added.
While Sehwag didn't specify the exact match, it is believed the incident took place during the 2006 Test against the West Indies at Gros Islet. In that match, Sehwag’s impressive 180, along with centuries from Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Kaif, helped India reach a declared total of 588/8. The game ultimately ended in a draw. Sehwag finished his illustrious Test career with a total of 8,586 runs from 104 matches.
Sehwag is widely regarded as one of India's most successful Test openers. In 104 matches, he amassed an impressive 8,586 runs at a remarkable average of 49.34. Known for his aggressive style, Sehwag was famous for hitting the ball hard from the very start of his innings. His prolific career included 23 centuries and 32 half-centuries. He is also the only Indian batter to have scored two triple centuries, along with four double hundreds.