An ode to Jatman, and my best moments

We all know you are capable of something which we all are not. And we all are not capable of what you can do. We are talking about things with the bat in hand, of course.

Two moments which reposed faith in Viru Jatman Sehwag

Cut to 3 November 2001 v South Africa

India were something for 5, you were making your debut. What we also know now that you had your learning hat on as well. Sachin was on the other end, on the way for another century, yawns. Uncontested, unrivalled, and simply the best. You envied yourself for having that seat in the house.

WAKE UP, cried a voice in your head. This is not a field in Najafgarh and Sachin is not your God anymore. Not JUST your god. He is your teammate and teammates means you have an opportunity to show him what you have in you.

But how? These saffers are digging it in more than Booker T would ever allow us to! There was pain, there was misery, then there was a solution. If you can’t be different from the master, then don’t be. Who cares! The lift-shot was born that day, invented by God, and learnt on the very day by the disciple. Talk about devotion. Talk about Jatman.

Cut to 9 August 2005 v Sri Lanka, ODI, Indian Oil Cup, Premadasa

True Story. The score was 20/0 after three overs. At the beginning of the fourth, I was sitting in the hostel, with a radio in tow, thinking about turning it off as Viru wasn’t being Viru and sort of shouted inside my head that “dude, kick some arse”. What happened next, as they say, is history:

5.1 Dilhara to Sehwag, FOUR

5.2 Dilhara to Sehwag, FOUR

5.3 Dilhara to Sehwag, SIX

5.4 Dilhara to Sehwag, FOUR

5.5 Dilhara to Sehwag, FOUR

5.6 Dilhara to Sehwag, FOUR

Talk about answering a fan’s plea. Talk about Jatman.