MiD DAY speaks to Saqlain Mushtaq, Chaminda Vaas, Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock on the fear factor

Like most of Virender Sehwag's hundreds, there were records aplenty at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore yesterday. The destructive opener already holds the record for the third fastest double-hundred in Tests, the fastest triple hundred (since the time number of balls per innings were recorded), the highest Test score by an Indian, and others.


Belligerent: Virender Sehwag en route to his maiden ODI double
century a Indore yesterday. Pic/AFP

But numbers will never tell the story of this once-in-a-lifetime batsman. Now, Sehwag also boasts of the highest score by any batsman in a small matter of 3,223 ODIs. Through all this carnage, Sehwag has not done any favours to bowlers over the years. MiD DAY spoke to four great bowlers who were recipients of his wrath:

Saqlain Mushtaq (Before the Multan Test in 2003-04, Saqlain enjoyed a stellar run against India -- 24 wickets from three Tests with four five-wicket hauls. But Saqlain didn't have to contend with Sehwag during those three Tests. The Multan Test was the last time Saqlain represented Pakistan, finishing with figures of 1-204 from 43 overs. Sehwag's 309-run blitzkrieg was, in a way, responsible for ending his international career.)
"What happed at Multan was unfortunate for me on a personal level.


Saqlain Mushtaq

But what he did there -- getting 100, 200 and 300 with sixes -- proved to me that he was not an ordinary player. The sort of concentration he possesses, the fact that he doesn't fear any bowler, his positive attitude, I truly salute him as a modern day great. I must admit that he put some fear in me (while I was bowling). I like him a lot, and appreciate his game. I am a big fan of his.

In my defence, I had not practiced for close to six months before that Multan Test. I was playing with pain-killing injections. I always got pleasure while bowling against players like Sachin (Tendulkar) and Brian (Lara). I put Sehwag in that same category after that Multan Test. Unfortunately, the powers-that-be didn't want me to bowl to him ever again. As you know, my career ended with that Test. I regret that I could never bowl to him again. But that's how life is. The knock he played today (against West Indies) was special and only he could have done something like this.