Cricket: More yet to come from dashing bat

There's a story about Virender Sehwag in English county cricket. He was facing one of the many Pakistani bowlers who could produce the dreaded reverse swing.

The bowler was causing a few problems. Sehwag told his batting partner he had the solution. The next ball was whacked out of sight. The lost ball had to be replaced and the reverse swing, gained from an older ball, was no more.

Sehwag fell on 293 against Sri Lanka this weekend after threatening to become the only batsman in test history to score three triple centuries - even the great Sir Donald Bradman only made two.

In the sub-continent, a small army of cricket writers nursed glowing intros and banner headlines, many of which would have contained the sentiment that Sehwag would have out-performed Bradman.

Maybe so - but comparisons have never been more odious than in different cricket eras and the difficulty of those comparisons usually predicates against them being made at all.

But, certainly, Sehwag would have sat alone at the top of triple century-scorers even though there is a caveat when it comes to the blazing Indian batsman's performances.

All his six double and triple centuries have been scored in India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka - three against Pakistan, two against Sri Lanka, with his 319 against South Africa an exception, although it was still scored at Chennai.

Not that he hasn't scored hundreds against the leading test nations - he has, many times, including a 195 against Australia in Melbourne in 2003 - but the big ones, the really big ones, have tended to come on home soil or close to it.

Which is not intended to negate Sehwag's achievements nor his batting when this dizzying batsman is in full stride at the crease.

When he is touched by the gods, it seems not even Muttiah Muralitharan, the most prolific wicket-taker in test history, can restrain him.

Sehwag murdered Murali's bowling until, on 293, he gave the little Sri Lankan a catch. Sehwag maintained he wasn't disappointed when he didn't reach the triple century milestone. That might sound like stubborn refusal to admit his faults - but Sehwag has made it clear in the past that milestones mean little to him.

When he and Rahul Dravid had the chance to break one of the oldest records of the game - India's highest opening partnership in tests, scored in 1956 against New Zealand - Sehwag got himself out. Later he confessed he was unaware of the record.

What's more he'd never heard of the famous India partnership of Vinoo Mankad or Pankaj Roy, who'd held the record (and still do).

That's Sehwag; an unapologetic dasher who says if the ball is there to be hit, he'll hit it and records are not what he's about. He wants to hit the ball and break the bowlers.

"Not many batsmen get to score two test triple centuries and follow that with a 293. I do not think I have anything to be disappointed about."

Asked about his caught-and-bowled dismissal, he said: "Perhaps it was the wrong shot to play. The ball was not quite there to be hit and I misjudged the length. I am an entertainer. It depends on the individual what kind of a player he wants to be."

Quite so - and maybe that is the source of any greatness that might go to Sehwag. He is comfortably the fastest-scoring batsman with more than 6000 test runs, outscoring even Sir Vivian Richards.

Maybe it's only that statistical hiccup of performing at his best at home (or nearby) that will keep him from the top of many lists of 'greats' but 31-year-old Sehwag had some chilling words for bowlers after his 293.

He revealed that India coach Gary Kirsten had persuaded him that Sehwag's best and biggest innings occurred when the batsman was well set. All he had to do was to play himself in - and then let his natural firepower do the rest and blitz the bowling attack.

Sehwag likes this idea and the thought of him at his blazing best may be enough to make some bowlers imagine they can feel a pain in their back. He says he has more doubles and triples in him and is looking forward to proving it.

Doing so on a stage other than on the sub-continent would be even better.