Ahead of his time, former India batter Virender Sehwag used to smash the bowlers from the word go irrespective of the condition, opposition or situation. While right-handed batters find it comparatively easier to face right-arm off-spinners, Sehwag’s strike rate of 113.78 against them in international cricket throws light on how he was fond of treating them with disdain. The same was once touched upon by ace Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who explained how Sehwag never considered offies as bowlers.
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With striking at more than 100 being a daring job during his playing days, Sehwag was strictly against making the ball older by leaving it. Instead, he was a fan of hitting the ball to make it soft.
A ball which turns away from a batter is generally more difficult to play for the latter. It is for the same reason that off-spinners are more successful against left-handers. With the stock delivery of an off-spinner turning into a right-handed batter, Sehwag seldom let go of an opportunity of accumulating runs against this crop of bowlers.
It is to be noted that Sehwag scored 1,758 runs across 84 innings against off-spinners at an average of 58.60. At the cost of getting out 30 times against them across formats at the highest level, Sehwag hit as many as 191 fours and 67 sixes in this battle over the years.
Virender Sehwag Never Considered Off-Spinners As Bowlers
Featuring on a chat show named What the Duck 2 six years ago, Ashwin narrated an interesting incident around him bowling to Sehwag in the nets during Sri Lanka triangular series 2010 (also involving New Zealand) in Dambulla.
Only three-matches old into his international career, Ashwin had tried pretty much everything against Sehwag but still couldn’t restrict him from playing big shots at will at training. With it becoming a regular affair, an inexperienced Ashwin had no option post a “demoralizing experience” than to doubt himself on what was just his second tour with the national team.
Expecting tips from the hard-hitting batter, Ashwin initiated a conversation with Sehwag but was surprised to know that he doesn’t consider off-spinners as bowlers. Although Ashwin didn’t get to play any match in the presence of left-arm spinners namely Ravindra Jadeja and Pragyan Ojha, he learnt a valuable lesson mainly by bowling constantly to Sehwag.
“Viru [Virender Sehwag] said ‘You know what, I don’t think off-spinners are bowlers. They do not trouble me at all. I just find it easy to smash them’,” Ashwin said of Sehwag’s reply.
Interestingly, earlier this year, Sehwag himself revealed that legendary Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was the one who scared him the most and that it took him a good 6-7 years to cunningly deceive him in Test cricket.
Virender Sehwag vs R Ashwin Head to Head Records In T20
Speaking of the Sehwag-Ashwin battle in professional cricket, it is worth of a mention that Sehwag had faced Ashwin four times in the T20 format. A smashing record saw him score 42 (25) at a strike rate of 168 with the help of one four and three sixes. In return, Ashwin was able to dismiss Sehwag just once.
Among key battles, Sehwag had hit one four and six each off Ashwin during an IPL 2010 match between Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings at the Feroz Shah Kotla (now Arun Jaitley Stadium). Speaking of a lone dismissal, Ashwin had outdone Sehwag on the last ball of the powerplay during an IPL 2012 contest at the same venue.
