Indian cricketers are right up there when you think of the greatest opening pairs in ODI cricket. Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, statistically, are still the best with 6609 runs from 136 innings at an average of 49.32 and 21 century partnerships. At No. 4 is the duo of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan with 5148 runs from 115 innings with 18 century partnerships. Then at No. 5 is arguably the most entertaining pair – that of Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag who have amassed 3919 runs from 93 innings batting together at an average of 42.13 and 12 century stands. Even after all these years, after Ganguly and Tendulkar, the opening duo of Sachin and Sehwag remains one of the most fabled and loved pair in Indian cricket.
Once Sehwag arrived, he became India’s certified opener and remained so till the end. His partners would swap between Tendulkar and Ganguly, but it was with the Master Blaster that Sehwag formed a string of memorable partnerships. Sehwag and Tendulkar started batting together in 2003, mostly during the World Cup in South Africa, where India finished runner-up… and rest as they say, is history.
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Tendulkar and Sehwag’s first real test came during the high-voltage India-Pakistan match, and as every Sachin fan would be aware, he hardly took first strike. But in that particular, it was Tendulkar who faced the first ball. Over the years, multiple theories have emerged as to why Sachin decided to take strike first. Some reports suggest he did it to show intent, while others claimed he wanted to derail the Pakistan pacers early. However, a new, staggering claim by Sehwag reveals a different story altogether.
“I was not doing well against the left-arm fast bowlers. I got out on first ball to Chaminda Vaas many times and many times to Nathan Bracken also. When we were playing against Wasim bhai in 2003 World Cup, and last over of innings when we were fielding and I asked Sachin Tendulkar to take strike. I said, ‘See, if Wasim bowls first ball, I might get out’. He (Tendulkar) said ‘No, No, I am very superstitious, my pandit ji has told me to bat at No.2’. And I said ‘You’re No.1 batsman in the world and you’re talking about Pandit ji… But he said, ‘No… I will bat at No. 2; you have to take the strike’,” Sehwag said during an interaction on the sidelines of the ILT20.
“So then, we were playing at the Centurion and we had to step up many stairs, so we went in for lunch and then came back requesting Tendulkar. He had put on big earphones, removed one, slapped me on the back and said go and pad yourself; I will not take strike. So, you know I was trying to please Tendulkar to save me from Wasim Akram.”
Having said that, somewhere between that discussion and the first ball bowled, Tendulkar changed his mind. Pakistan had posted a solid 273/7 batting first – their highest World Cup total against India, and Sachin was aware that his team needed a blazing start against the likes of Wasim, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar. The sleepless nights Sachin had endured leading up to the match, this was Tendulkar’s moment to own the big stage, again. And once he punched Akram off the backfoot for his first boundary, the world knew something special was going to unfold. For someone with 49 ODI centuries, his innings of 98 that day in Centurion is regarded by many as his most important knock, and to an extent, that notion is not even debatable.
“When we were going down to bat, walking down the stairs, I asked him again to take strike… and he said no. Till the 30-yard circle, I was asking him to take strike and he kept saying no. And then suddenly, I see Sachin walking towards where the wicketkeeper stands and I said ‘Wow, it’s my lucky day, you know’. He took the strike, first ball he took single and second ball, I had to face Wasim Akram. So, I was lucky enough to survive that but at least I didn’t play the first one,” added Sehwag.
