Virender Sehwag

[Teja.]

Do you think his recent failures have more to do with away conditions, being injured and shot in confidence or is it something more physical and permanent? Is there a way back for him to be back to reclaim his best opener in the world slot? How do you think he'll fare in the 8 home test matches against Australia and England at home coming up in the recent future? Where do we go now?

Discuss.

[Daemon]

Think it's a combination of some very good bowling and worsening footwork.

[Bahnz]

More likely the natural decay of his magnificent hand-eye coordination. He's 34 now, and entering the phase of his career where technique and temperament are arguably most important to batting success. Sehwag's never been huge on either.

Still reckon he'll cause some havoc at home over the next couple of years, but I honestly believe his best days are behind him.

[Spark]

I'd like to say it was the pitches, but a bit of bounce shouldn't make you slap it (off the middle!) through point at head height all the time. That's something a bit more technical, IMO.

[marc71178]

I'm going for the lack of physical fitness - not just a coincidence that since he's been getting niggles and injuries he's deteriorated IMO.

[flibbertyjibber]

I think he may well be in decline but is still more than capable of playing a destructive innings, I just think you will see more and more failures among the fantastic knocks. Age comes to us all and bites us in the ass in the end, Sehwag is no different.

[smalishah84]

viruthebest would disagree....

[smalishah84]

Sehwag keen to build on Ranji ton

[Satyanash89]

Think its a bit of a mental thing along with a decay in his hand-eye co-ordination. Remember an article a few months back in which they showed how sehwag's strike rate has shot through the roof in the last two years while his average has plummeted.
Could be his natural ability of seeing and striking the ball with minimal footwork is rapidly faltering and he's trying to get into form by hitting out at balls he previously wouldnt, because sehwag in his pomp wouldnt just go after every single ball like a madman

[smalishah84]

Age is catching up with him and fitness a serious concern as well.

Never seemed to me to be the type to cut down on the samosas or daal bhajis

[vic_orthdox]

His weight was more over leg stump, leaning back and not able to control the ball as well as normal, throughout the Australian series. It was technical, for much of the series.

I certainly wouldn't be writing him off yet, but the one player who had similar footwork was Gilchrist, and I think his last few years might be similar.

[Garson007]

Originally Posted by Satyanash89

sehwag in his pomp wouldnt just go after every single ball like a madman

Are you calling him senile?

[Arachnodouche]

I don't think he's the smartest bulb in the box contrary to what so many say about his street smarts. His unrefined attitude towards things often results in hilarious situations (plenty of game changing ones too) but it also prevents him from gaining any sort of real introspection into just why things are going belly up. His outrageous failures were easier to ignore in the past when he was playing the odds far more successfully. They do leave a sour taste in the mouth now though.

Why are players, professionals that they are supposed to be, so wary of admitting that things have changed with age and that they have to adopt a more circumspect attitude towards things in the middle, change their MO, etc? When was the last time someone owned up to their ailing game in a candid enough manner?

[benchmark00]

Touched on this in Section 2.0 of my comprehensive analysis of India's tour to Australia.

[Spark]

Not that simple, though. The greatest players get to where they do by near-infinite self-belief, that's not about to go away with age. So it's a bit tougher for them.

edit: ****mark00 the new howardj