One of the most potent starting combinations in the Indian Premier League (IPL) was Virender Sehwag and David Warner. The aggressive Australian hitter played with the Delhi Daredevils, currently known as the Delhi Capitals, from 2009 to 2013, when he moved to Hyderabad. In 2023, he took over the team’s captaincy when Rishabh Pant was away, having returned to Delhi in 2022.
The southpaw and Virender Sehwag grew close during the southpaw’s first stay in Delhi. In a recent interview, the renowned Indian opener recalls telling Warner he would do better in Test matches than T20 internationals. Warner was not even close to being called up for a Test call-up at that stage, having just made his debuts in ODIs and T20Is.
David Warner had recently made his Twenty20 and One-Day International (ODI) debuts when he joined the Delhi Daredevils for the 2009 IPL. However, based on his previous batting style, I could observe that he has all the necessary skill and control to be a successful Test hitter. However, the problem for a young player such as he is that he lacks confidence in his ability to play Test cricket. I was certain after seeing him that he would do better in Tests than he does in T20 cricket. I expressed this opinion to him, and he burst out laughing,” Sehwag said to Cricbuzz.
“I am so far away from Test cricket, and it’s really hard to get into the Test team in Australia to begin with,” he remarked. You’ll love it,’ I told him. It was designed with you in mind. Throughout the day, there is a powerplay in Test cricket. In Twenty20 cricket, the powerplay is limited to 20 overs. “Then I’ll certainly enjoy it,” he responded, breaking into a fit of laughter.
He went on to play Tests for Australia after I told him so, and he messaged me to express how glad he was that I had told him. “I hope you break all my records,” I said, wishing him well. He’s almost certainly going to smash all of my opening records, too. other than the strike rate,” Virender Sehwag continued.
When Virender Sehwag thought David Warner would perform well in Test cricket, he said, “Just the way he used to bat in the nets.”
When asked what gave him hope that Warner would be successful in red-ball cricket, Virender Sehwag responded. The “Nawab of Najafgarh” claimed that Warner’s approach of considering any ball that is not inside the off-stump to be a boundary ball, regardless of the format, struck him as strange.
“I first began considering him as a Test cricketer because of the way he batted in the nets or the few 20s and 30s he scored in that IPL.” Between the white and red balls, there is a significant difference. But your strategy is everything.
You’ll love Test cricket even more if, like Warner, you think there’s always an area outside off-stump, regardless of whether you’re playing shorter or longer formats, and you can hit that ball for a boundary. Thus, you can engage in it more frequently. I felt compelled to tell him what was on my mind at that point. Virender Sehwag was the one who initially shouted it; he told the media when he eventually made it, despite his initial laughter.
In the third and final Test match between Australia and Pakistan, Warner is currently playing in Sydney. The 37-year-old’s final Test match is this one. Warner received a lot of appreciation from Sehwag for his ability to knock good balls for boundaries.
“The majority of athletes at the top level play strong defense. One thing you expect them all to have is the ability to keep the good ball out. However, those who possess the skill of converting them into chances to hit fours and sixes are the most successful batters. That has always been David Warner. That’s why he was constantly noticeable. The nice ball was always there for him to hit for a boundary.
As a left-hander, he presented additional opportunities for the right-arm bowlers, who had to constantly alter their angles in an attempt to stop him from scoring or getting out. He never allowed them to come to terms. He was one of the few players who could both hit and block six decent balls for boundaries, according to Sehwag.
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