Virender Sehwag Recalls Never Heard Before Incident With Sachin Tendulkar During IND Vs PAK World Cup Match

The pair of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar is hailed as one of the most iconic opening duos of all time. They have opened 93 innings together and joined 3919 runs including 12-century opening stands and an astonishing average of 42.13.

New Delhi: The pair of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar is hailed as one of the most iconic opening duos of all time. They have opened 93 innings together and joined 3919 runs including 12-century opening stands and an astonishing average of 42.13.

There have been a lot of entertaining and iconic taled from their partnership together and Virender Sehwag recently during a recent interview at the sideline of ILT20 revealed a new story. As many Sachin Tendulkar fans know the God of Cricket hardly used to take the first strike and Sehwag’s story is of one such time when Sachin took the first strike during a 2003 World Cup clash between India and Pakistan.

Sehwag said “I was not good against the left-arm fast bowlers. I got out on first ball to Chaminda Vaas many times and many times to Nathan Bracken also. When we were playing against Wasim bhai in 2003 World Cup, and last over of innings when we were fielding and I asked Sachin Tendulkar to take strike because see if Wasim bowls first ball, I would get out. He (Tendulkar) said ‘No, No, I am very superstitious, my pandit ji has told me to bat at No.2’. And I said ‘You’re No.1 batsman in the world and you’re talking about Pandit ji… But he said, “No… I will bat at No. 2; you have to take the strike.”

“So then, we were playing at the Centurion and we had to step up many stairs, so we went in for lunch and then came back requesting Tendulkar and he had put on big earphones and he removed the earphones and slapped me on my back and said go and pad yourself and I will not take strike. So, you know I was trying to please Tendulkar to save me from Wasim Akram.”

However, Sachin Tendulkar changed his mind by the time they reached the pitch and decided to take the strike first. “When we were going down to bat, walking down the stairs, I asked him again to take strike and he said no. Till the 30-yard circle, I was asking him to take strike and he said no. And then suddenly, I see Sachin Tendulkar walking towards where the wicketkeeper stands and I said ‘Wow, it’s my lucky day, you know’. And he took the strike, first ball he took single and second ball, I had to face Wasim Akram. So, I was lucky enough to survive that but at least I didn’t play the first one,” added Sehwag.

Sachin’s 98 runs in that match was a match-winning knock and is hailed as one of his finest ODI knocks along with his 49 ODI centuries.