Run-machine and match-winner: The numbers that define Sehwag's legacy

Virender Sehwag announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday. In a career spanning 16 years in international cricket, Sehwag played 104 Tests and scored 8,586 runs at an average of 49.34 and a highest score of 319. In 251 One-Day Internationals (ODI), he scored 8,273 runs at an average of 35.05. He ended up with 38 international hundreds. Sehwag smashed his highest ODI score in 2011 against the West Indies at Indore, slamming 219 runs off only 149 balls. This is the third highest score in ODIs, after Rohit Sharma (264) and Martin Guptil (237 not out). [caption id=“attachment_1352611” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Virender Sehwag. Reuters[/caption] It was in Tests that Sehwag went on to establish himself as one of the very best in the game. He is still the only Indian to have a triple century in his name, having done so against Pakistan (309 in Multan) and South Africa (319 in Chennai). This makes him one of four batsmen - Don Bradman, Chris Gayle and Brian Lara are the others - to have scored a triple century twice in Tests. Here’s a statistical wrap of Sehwag’s career. Sehwag had a special liking for Pakistan in Tests, he averaged a staggering 91.14 against them. Apart from Bangladesh and England, he averaged over 40 against every Test nation. Away from home, Australia, Pakistan, West Indies and Zimbabwe were the happy hunting grounds for him as he averaged over 40 in all these countries. Sehwag’s best year in Test cricket was 2004. He amassed 1141 runs at an average of 63.38. He hit three centuries in that period including his first triple century (309) against Pakistan in Multan. The other two tons were 155 against Australia in Chennai and 164 against South Africa in Kanpur. Sehwag was a match-winner. He averaged 54.65 in the Tests India won and hit eight centuries too. For India only Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman had a higher average than Sehwag in wins for players who have scored more that 2000 runs in the matches India won. Sehwag was prolific in team’s first innings. He averaged 62.50 and hit 22 of his 23 centuries in the first innings. However, he had a mediocre average (30.25) in the second innings, making just one century. Dale Steyn got Sehwag out most number of times in Tests – 7. Test highlights - Scored 105 and 31 on Test debut (v South Africa, Bloemfontein, 2001-02) - Only Indian batsman to score a Test triple century. - One of four batsman in the Test history to score two triple centuries, alongside Don Bradman, Brian Lara and Chris Gayle - Made four scores of 250 or more in Test cricket, only Don Bradman (5) has more such scores. - India’s three highest Test scores have come from Sehwag’s bat – 319, 309, 293 - Sehwag and Don Bradman are the only batsmen to make three Test scores of 290-plus - Only cricketer in the Test history to hit two triple centuries and to take five wickets in a Test innings. - Sehwag’s strike-rate of 82.23 is the highest for any batsman with 2000 Test runs - Holds the record for converting 11 successive Test hundreds into 150+ scores. - Holds the record of scoring the fastest Test triple century in terms of balls faced. He took 278 deliveries to reach the milestone. - Holds the record of making the highest ever Test score in history at a strike-rate of over 100. He achieved this feat against South Africa in the 2008 Chennai Test, where he scored 319 runs at a strike rate of 104.93 - Sehwag and Graham Gooch are the only batsmen to make more than 60 percent of the team’s runs while carrying bat through a completed Test innings. - Only Indian to score 200 runs on the first day of a Test (228 vs Pakistan, Multan, 2003-04) Surprisingly, Sehwag the Test player was way better than Sehwag the ODI player. He ended with a mediocre average of 35.37 in ODIs. Sehwag hit his maiden ODI ton against New Zealand in 2001 in Colombo and from then on he developed a special liking towards them. Amongst all nations, he had the highest average against New Zealand in ODIs - 52.59 which was way higher than his next best - 41.91 against Bangladesh. His highest away ODI average was also in New Zealand – 54.36. Sehwag had a pretty balanced record in home and away ODIs. 2011 was his best year in ODIs. He averaged 53.75 and also hit a scintillating double century against West Indies in Indore. As it was in Tests, Sehwag was a match-winner in ODIs too. He averaged 46.35 in won matches in ODIs. Only one of Sehwag’s 15 ODI tons resulted in a loss for India. ODI highlights Holds the record of scoring the fastest ODI fifty by an Indian outside India Hold the record of scoring the fastest ODI century by an Indian outside India Sehwag’s 219 against West Indies at Indore in December 2011 is the highest score by a captain in ODIs. Has the third highest individual score in ODIs to his credit. Miscellaneous Only batsman in the history to have scored 7,500-plus runs in both Tests & ODIs as an opener. One of the two players to be dismissed in 90s, 190s and 290s. The other is England’s Alastair Cook. *** Sehwag’s best figures in Tests came against Australia at Delhi in 2008-09 – 5/104 in 40 overs. Interestingly all 5 wickets came without any assistance from any of the team-mates. Four of the victims were bowled and one was lbw. Sehwag’s best figures in ODIs came against Bangladesh in Asia Cup match at Dambula in 2010- 4 for 6 in 2.5 overs. With inputs from IANS.