Sourav Ganguly names 'India's greatest opener' after Sunil Gavaskar: Details
What's the story
Former Indian cricket team captain, Sourav Ganguly, has named Virender Sehwag as the "greatest opener" for India after Sunil Gavaskar.
Ganguly's statement was made in the trailer of an upcoming Netflix series titled "The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan."
"After Sunil Gavaskar, the greatest opener is Virender Sehwag," Ganguly said in the trailer.
The promotional video, which quickly gained traction on social media, features Ganguly's bold declaration about Sehwag's standing in Indian cricket history.
Here's more.
Stellar performance
Sehwag's remarkable cricket career in stats
Sehwag, who was known for his aggressive batting, amassed 8,586 runs in Test cricket at 49.34.
He also scored 8,273 runs in ODIs at 32-plus and a further 394 T20I runs at 21.88.
He has smashed 38 centuries and 72 half-centuries in his international career across formats.
Overall, he finished with 17,253 runs in international cricket at 40.31, as per ESPNcricinfo.
He smashed 2,408 fours and 243 sixes.
Iconic figure
Gavaskar's legacy in Indian cricket
Gavaskar, a legend from the era when Test cricket was highly esteemed, scored 10,122 runs for India in the longest format and 3,092 in ODIs.
He is celebrated as India's first technically proficient batter, known for consistently performing against the world's top pacers and spinners
This comparison further highlights Ganguly's high regard for Sehwag's contributions to Indian cricket.
Strategy insights
Sehwag and Ganguly discuss Pakistan's bowling tactics
In the same trailer, both Sehwag and Ganguly also dive into Pakistan's bowling plans.
They talk about how Pakistani bowlers would expertly reverse swing by scratching up the new ball.
"The whole Pakistan team is so adept at scratching up the new ball and generating reverse swing," said Sehwag during their conversation in the series trailer.
Additionally, Ganguly added, "If you watch their action or their run-up, they'd keep it hidden so that the batsman doesn't see the ball."
Information
Sehwag's stats as an opener in international cricket
Sehwag managed 16,119 runs as an opener in international cricket from 332 matches across formats. Across 400 innings, he averaged 41.54. He slammed 36 tons and 67 fifties while batting as an opener. His strike rate was 93.03.