By IANS,
New Delhi : Known as a backup bowler for breaching partnerships in the one-dayers, Virender Sehwag Saturday made a statement with the ball in the longer version of the game. He claimed his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests in the first innings of the third Test against Australia. All his victims were bowled.
Sehwag, with his five wickets for 104, was the pick of the Indian bowler and could have well snared more wickets if fielders had not dropped some easy chances.
With skipper Anil Kumble unable to take the field Friday and also for the first hour Saturday, Sehwag performed the role of a front-line spinner to perfection.
His bowling effort more than made up for his batting failure in both the innings and he has made it clear that he has been under-utilised by Indian captains.
The 30-year-old opening batsman has always come in handy as a part-time off-spinner in the one-dayers. On his ODI debut in 1991 against Pakistan, he was smacked for 35 runs in his three-over spell, but the then skipper Sourav Ganguly continued to show faith in him.
Sehwag’s best bowling figures in the One-Dayers were three for 25 in India’s victory over South Africa in the 2002 Champions Trophy semi-final in Colombo. In that game he also scored 59 runs.
As Sehwag went up the order, he was used as a bowler less. He was used more as a fifth bowler. In ODI’s he has bowled just 630.1 overs in 191 matches and picked up 80 wickets.
In the Tests, with Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh being the premier bowlers, he hardly got a chance turn his arm over. In 63 matches he has played so far, Sehwag has bowled just 356.1 overs picking 29 wickets.
However, after his exploits Saturday, it looks the numbers will surely go up.