Virender Sehwag: The Multan Sultan and Cricket's Most Fearless Opener
Virender Sehwag's batting was unique — he scored at ODI strike rates in Test cricket. His 319 at Multan and 293 at The Oval are among Test cricket's most extraordinary innings of the modern era.
The Philosophy: Every Ball Is There to Be Hit
Virender Sehwag was born in Najafgarh, Delhi on 20 October 1978. His approach to Test cricket was revolutionary: he played Test cricket as if it were an ODI, scoring at strike rates between 80 and 100 while other openers scored at 40-60. His justification was simple — if a ball can be hit to the boundary, it should be. His methods produced two of the highest individual Test scores ever made and the fastest Test 300 in history.
319 at Multan — The Multan Sultan
Sehwag scored 319 against Pakistan at Multan in March 2004 — the highest score by an Indian in Tests at the time. He scored it off 304 balls, including 42 fours and 6 sixes. The innings was played at such a tempo that it seemed almost supernatural for Test cricket. He added 336 for the fourth wicket with Sachin Tendulkar who scored a century himself. The Multan stadium gave him a nickname — 'The Sultan of Multan' — that followed him for the rest of his career.
293 at The Oval and 12,000 International Runs
In 2007, Sehwag became only the second Indian after Tendulkar to score a Test century in South Africa, Australia, England and Pakistan. His 293 at The Oval in 2007 against England was his second-highest Test score. He scored 8,586 Test runs in 104 Tests at 49.34 — remarkable for a batsman who played without the safety net of conventional technique. His strike rate of 82.23 is the highest of any batsman who has scored 5,000+ Test runs.
ODI Batting and Legacy
Sehwag scored 8,273 ODI runs in 251 matches at 35.05 and played two memorable World Cup innings — the 2003 and 2011 tournaments both featured Sehwag cameos that set India up for victories. He retired from all cricket in 2015. His batting philosophy — attack every ball that can be attacked and stop thinking about what you might lose — inspired a generation of Indian batsmen including Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to play with more freedom at the top of the order.
Frequently asked questions
What is Virender Sehwag's highest Test score?
Virender Sehwag's highest Test score is 319, scored against Pakistan at Multan in March 2004. He hit the ball off 304 balls with 42 fours and 6 sixes, scoring at an extraordinary tempo for Test cricket. He was batting when India declared the innings and could have gone higher — legend has it that Sachin Tendulkar persuaded him to get to 300 but captain Ganguly declared before he could score more.
What was unique about Virender Sehwag's batting approach?
Sehwag's unique approach was playing Test cricket with the aggression and strike rate of T20 cricket — typically scoring at 80-100 per 100 balls, far above the Test average of 40-60. He famously 'saw the ball and hit the ball' without any defensive plan. This worked because his hand-eye coordination was exceptional and he scored enough fast runs to put teams in winning positions before his wicket became a problem.