West Indies great Viv Richards and the legendary Indian opener Virender Sehwag Both are known for their fearless and attacking cricket. Just a day after Viv Richards praised Virender Sehwag for his brilliant contributions in Test cricket, the former India opener has shown his respect to the cricketer.
Both Richards and Sehwag took the game to the bowlers from the first delivery, but the impact of the former Indian opener in Test cricket was uniquely devastating. The 46-year-old turned every session into a spectacle, leaving bowlers from Australia to South Africa and Pakistan speechless.
Even today, after his retirement in 2014, the void left by the West Indies legend at the top of India’s batting order is still noticeable, with only Yashavi Jaiswal showing glimpses of Sehwag’s gritty style. Sehwag’s numbers prove his legacy as one of the most devastating openers.
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Virender Sehwag’s fearless style leaves a lasting impact on Viv Richards
In 104 Test matches, Sehwag scored 8,586 runs at an astounding strike rate of 82.23, the highest by any Indian batsman in the traditional format of the game. He also scored India’s first ever triple century against Pakistan in 2004 and repeated the feat against South Africa in 2008. He came heartbreakingly close to a third hat-trick in 2009, finishing with 293 against Sri Lanka.
Sehwag’s style was simple yet brutal: see the ball, hit the ball. He would attack at all times, whether it was last before lunch or tea or stumps; Every session was an opportunity to dominate the bowlers. One of Sehwag’s famous innings came in the 2003 MCG Test during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
His 195-run blitz showed how he could control the match from the start, forcing the bowlers to constantly change their plans; However, they failed to control the devastation. The former Indian opener’s bold style in the opener made him a nightmare for any bowling attack and inspired a generation of aggressive batsmen.
Viv Richards hails Virender Sehwag as a courageous force who revived Test cricket
Viv Richards saw a reflection of himself in Sehwag. He was impressed by the way Sehwag brought excitement back to Test cricket, bringing fans back into the stadiums even when matches seemed one-sided. Sehwag continued the tradition of attacking cricket, keeping the form alive with his fearless style.
“When I watched Sehwag’s bat, I saw a reflection of myself and found him more dangerous than he was,” he said Shahid Afridi and Adam Gilchrist. Test cricket was fading, but Sehwag revived the format. The kind of excitement he brought to the game is one of the reasons why 15,000-20,000 fans still turn out today to watch a weakened West Indies team. This is Sehwag’s legacy.”
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Virender Sehwag reacts to Viv Richards’ admiration
Virender Sehwag felt proud of Viv Richards’ praise and responded with gratitude. He acknowledged Richards’ influence on cricket and said he was keeping the tradition alive for the next generation. He also stressed that Test cricket will continue to flourish as long as players enjoy attacking and playing fearlessly.
Sehwag,
Humble sir @IagainstIagainstIAnpICHApDQ 🙏
You made bowlers fear batsmen – you kept the tradition alive for the next generation.
Test cricket will never die as long as there is fun in attacking it!– Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) HeyCRSforep 13, 2025
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