Virender Shewag - Shade of Sachin

Born : October 20, 1978

Major Teams : India, Delhi

Known As : Virender Sehwag

Batting Style : Right Hand Bat

Bowling Style : Right Arm Off Break

Test Debut : 2001/02 against South Africa Bloemfontein

ODI Debut : 1998/99 against Pakistan at Mohali

Virender Sehwag is a hard hitting batsman and a more than useful off spinner, but made a disastrous debut against Pakistan at Mohali in the Pepsi Cup. After having got out for a single he was hammered for 35 runs in the three overs that he bowled. He was then left out of the team but Shewag made a strong comeback to the Indian team during the Australia tour of India in 2000-01. In the first one-dayer at Bangalore, Shewag helped himself to a quick half century before scalping three crucial wickets to play a leading role in India's victory. But Shewag's best knock came against New Zealand at Colombo when he hit the seventh fastest century in ODI cricket. Sehwag blazed a hundred off just 69 balls, when he opened for India in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar. In his first Test innings, at Bloemfontein in 2001-02, he came in at 68/4 on a greentop and made a ravishing hundred, adding 220 with his hero Tendulkar. Though categorised as a one-day batsman, Sehwag now holds the record of the highest score by an Indian in Test cricket.