SA's plan to Sehwag from a Hawk-Eye perspective Print E-mail
Category: Features
Written by Luke Tagg   
Monday, 08 February 2010 18:19
Indian opener Virender Sehwag faced a bunch of short-pitched bowling from South Africa's pacemen on Day 3 of the first Test between India and South Africa in Nagpur, but hardly touched any of it.

When questioned by the Times of India about why he had left so much short bowling alone he replied: "I'm not a good puller or hooker".

Which is nice to know. Straight from the horse's mouth. Pack away your video analysis, fire your statistician, cancel the team meeting and don't bother with a second opinion.

Viru doesn't like hooking and pulling. Spread the word.

The stats back up his claim: the South African seam attack (Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell and Jacques Kallis) bowled 52 short balls at Sehwag in the first innings - 30 of which were bouncers short of halfway - and he scored just two leg side boundaries off those deliveries.

That's probably the very definition of not enjoying the hook or pull shots.

I understand why South Africa bowled so many short balls at him despite his reluctance to hit them: they are probably well aware that he doesn't like hooking or pulling and were hoping that he would be frustrated into having a go and possibly skying it, or chopping on.

To Sehwag's credit he didn't crack. It was the wide, wide bowling of Wayne Parnell that finally accounted for him as he was unable to show the same discipline outside off that he did to the short-pitched bowling at his body.

Interestingly enough, the one bowler that didn't trouble him in the slightest was Dale Steyn, the hero of the innings with his 7/51.

Viru scored 34 runs off the 38 balls Steyn bowled to him and hit five boundaries all around the wicket. Check out his wagon wheel to Steyn, courtesy of the magnificent new Hawk-Eye feature on Cricinfo:

Steyn to Sehwag

I actually think Parnell's theory of bowling wide outside off on a good length to Sehwag could be the way to go. You're going to get hammered, make no mistake, but at least he's going to go after it. Stack the off side with catchers and hope like hell he miscues one, as he did.

It's an expensive theory - Viru really targeted Parnell, taking him for 24 runs off the 18 balls bowled at him. But Parnell had the last laugh and I'd take 24 runs from Viru if I got his wicket, thanks. I'd take double that and still call it a good day.

You can see Parnell's plan to Viru as clear as daylight using the Hawk-Eye feature:

Parnell to Sehwag

Notice that most of the balls Parnell bowled to Sehwag were pitched on or outside off stump and it was predominantly those balls that Sehwag targeted.

They were mostly bowled from around the wicket by the lefthander - notice how Viru left a lot more deliveries that pitched on the leg side, bowled from over the wicket.

You can see how it was the full balls that Viru thrashed for boundaries - that's OK from a South African point of view. Viru slashing outside off is the plan, which comes to fruition when the slips get involved.

Notice also the white wicket-taking ball - a totally innocuous wide ball bowled on the shorter side of a good length. It is pitched about an inch wider than a ball bowled three balls earlier, which Viru thrashed for four.

One came off; the other got his wicket. A fair trade.

I suspect the other bowlers were also trying to frustrate Viru into hitting out at Parnell - they tied him up with short balls, knowing he wasn't going to hit them, meaning he had to go after someone - the new boy, Parnell, whose instructions were to bowl it wide and full outside off.

Gotta love it when a plan comes together.

Even so, despite all that planning and Sehwag's reluctance to hook or pull, the bastard still thrashed 109 runs off 139 balls.

He doesn't need to be a good hooker or puller based on that evidence, which is why he can be so honest about his weaknesses.
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