Batted with a strike rate of 82.23 in Tests, Virender Sehwag had the 'Bazball' approach to Test cricket, more than a decade before the term was coined in England with Brendon McCullum joining as head coach. Recently, West Indies' legendary batter Viv Richards credited Sehwag for reviving Test cricket as his batting style appealed to the modern-day cricket fan. Richards called him more dangerous than the likes of Australian wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist and Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi.
“When I watched Sehwag bat, I saw a reflection of myself. I found him even more dangerous than Shahid Afridi and Adam Gilchrist," Richards told News24.
“Test cricket was fading, but Sehwag revived the format. The kind of excitement he brought to the game is one of the reasons 15,000 to 20,000 fans are turning up even today to watch a weakened West Indies team—that’s Sehwag’s legacy," he added.
Sehwag’s reaction to Richards’ praise
Sehwag took to social media and thanked Richards for the comparison. The former India opener feels that Test cricket won’t die as long as batters keep attacking.
“Humbled, Sir @ivivianrichards You made bowlers fear batsmen — I just kept the tradition alive for the next generation. Test cricket will never die as long as there’s joy in attacking it!" Sehwag tweeted.
Richards and Sehwag’s Test numbers compared
Richards averaged just over 50 in Test cricket. While ball-by-ball data for his career is not available, he scored 8,540 runs from 121 Tests, including 24 centuries. He hit 84 sixes in his Test career. Richards was destructive in ODIs. His strike rate was just over 90 in ODIs, exceptionally good the era he played cricket in.
On the other hand, Sehwag scored 8,586 runs at an average of 49.34, featuring 23 centuries. He hit 91 sixes in his Test career. He scored two triple centuries in his Test career, the only Indian to do so.