Those who watched the game sitting next to him in the dressing room speak of Sehwag’s frustration if a batter in the middle defended a half-decent delivery. No player was perhaps captured as well by a commercial they appeared in as Sehwag once was. “The ball’s home is beyond the boundary,” he said in one. “Send it there.”
More than any numbers, though, Sehwag was about the effect he had on the viewer. When he batted, the sport seemed full of unabashed joy, short on inhibition, a reminder that nine fielders can cover only so much of the ground. That batting is not about outcomes, just watching the ball, hitting it and enjoying the sound.
Normally when batters, even when they are doing well, are beaten once or twice, they are bothered by what happened. But for Viru, say, if he was beaten seven out of ten balls he faced but hit two boundaries, he would remain unfazed. Mindset – that was his biggest asset.
While he did evolve as a player, he never tinkered much with his game; he stuck to his strengths. If a fast bowler pitched a bouncer, he would duck, but if that same bowler delivered a 150kph ball outside off stump first ball of a Test, he would slash it for a four.
His balance at the crease was superb and that helped him deal with the moving ball despite barely having any trigger movement. And he was extremely good against spin: cutting, hitting over cover and mid-off were things he did with ease once he was set.
On a day he was batting well, even if it was the last delivery before stumps, even if he was on 94, 144 or 194, he wouldn’t shy away from hitting a six. His mindset was: the bowlers are tired, the wicket is flat, we can think about tomorrow morning tomorrow.
As good as his batting was, he is also remembered for being a master tactician, frequently reading pitches and oppositions better than any other player on the field. His captaincy was the blueprint for Sri Lanka’s outstanding white-ball run between 2007 and 2014, during which bowling variety, mystery spin and aggressive batting became hallmarks. His success with Mumbai Indians and other franchises in the years since his retirement has only embellished his reputation for cricketing intelligence.
Dimuth Karunaratne on Jayawardene: Mahela’s cricket brain as a player and a captain were just incredible. He knew his own game inside out and had a game plan every time he went out. He understood what he needed to do in any situation. As a captain, he’s the best I’ve ever seen in my international career. On my first overseas tour – in Australia – he just gave me unbelievable confidence. And he reads the game and analyses players so well. He has a plan for everyone.
As a batter he was always someone who wanted to be on top, and he takes risks to establish that dominance if he needs to. Against spin he was especially good and almost never gave them the chance to dictate terms to him. When he’s batting well, he’s controlling the entire game – it’s not the bowlers or fielders who are running the show, it’s Mahela.
The violence of his youthful action became more refined and more durable, but the devastation he caused batters the world over has never abated. Few bowlers have Cummins’ ability to swing the momentum of a match with one delivery or one spell that extracts venom from a docile surface when it appears to be placid and plain sailing for the batters.
As captain, thrust into the role at short notice, he has been the antithesis of the demonic wicket-taking deliveries that he can produce. An epitome of calm, he meets every off-field and on-field challenge with the same phlegmatic pragmatism.
Ashton Agar on Cummins: The key quality that Pat possesses is consistency. This comes in two forms. Firstly, he is incredibly skilful and rarely misses out two games in a row. His performances and longevity for the Australian Test team have been incredible. Secondly, he is extremely consistent in his character. Pat has had plenty of scrutiny in his time as captain of the Australian team. Dealing with extreme on-field and off-field pressure, I have never seen his character shift. Through success and failure he has remained calm, logical and consistent in how he sees the game and leads his team-mates. This is the hallmark of his leadership and what makes him such a popular member of the team. His players love playing for him.
When you match extreme competence with great decision-making skills, the results are what we see from Pat Cummins.
Stats are for the 2000-2025 period
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