Former India cricketer S Badrinath has recently opened up on sharing the batting crease with Virender Sehwag. Badrinath revealed that Sehwag wasn’t the best batting partner for him as he would play too aggressively.
Virender Sehwag used to bat with an aggressive style during his playing days. He used to play his natural game irrespective of the format which always put the bowlers under pressure.
Sehwag was at his best in Test cricket where he played 104 matches for India. The former opener scored 8586 runs at an average of 49.34 and a magnificent strike rate of 82.23. He scored 23 hundreds and 32 fifties in his Test career.
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S Badrinath opens up on batting alongside Virender Sehwag
During a recent interview with InsideSport, S Badrinath was asked about his experience of batting with Virender Sehwag. He was also asked about Sehwag’s habit of singing songs while facing top-quality bowlers in the world
“(Virender) Sehwag is one of the best partners to bat with, but for me, it was actually the opposite experience. I’m the type who’s always a bit tense, always expecting a lot from myself. But Sehwag? He’s completely relaxed, almost as if nothing bothers him,” Badrinath replied.
Badrinath further mentioned that Sehwag batted like he didn’t care but actually, he wasn’t careless. He stated that Sehwag had an ideal mindset for a sportsperson.
“He bats like he doesn’t care, but let me clarify—he cares a lot, he’s just not careless. There’s a fine line, and Sehwag has mastered that balance perfectly. I think that’s the ideal mindset for a sportsman,” he added.
“He just plays at a different speed” – S Badrinath on Virender Sehwag
When asked about batting with him, Badrinath responded that he loved batting with him but he wasn’t the best partner because of his ultra-aggressive style of batting.
“I absolutely loved batting with him. But, in another sense, he wasn’t the best partner for me because while I’d be on 20, he’d already be on 120! By the time he reached his half-century, I’d probably be on my way back to the pavilion. He just plays at a different speed, in his own world. But yeah, he’s an incredible batting partner, and I loved every moment of it,” Badrinath claimed.
S Badrinath’s international career
S Badrinath found a place in India’s Test squad for the home series against South Africa. He played two Tests in his international career and scored 63 runs at an average of 21 with a fifty to his name. Unfortunately, he did not play any further Tests later in his career.
Apart from playing 2 Tests, Badrinath also played 7 ODIs for India. However, the Tamil Nadu batter scored just 79 runs at an average of 15.80 and was dropped from the Playing XI. His last international match was way back in 2011 in an ODI against West Indies at North Sound.