THE WINNING STROKE: A STROKE OF DESTINY OR A STROKE OF COLLABORATION?

Authored by Virender Sehwag, Indian Cricketer

Every single time I have stepped on to a cricket field or padded up to a bowler, I have always been Virender Sehwag, the cricket player from India and, more importantly, Viru, the team man.
One incident that drove home the importance of being team players was just after the Sydney Test in 2008. A lot had happened on and off the field. Our captain, Anil Bhai stepped up, took upon the mantle of a true leader and got us together to focus on winning. The next thing we knew, we had conquered Perth, one of the toughest pitches to win for a visiting team in Australia. As a player, I have been glad to be part of domestic teams and national teams that saw good collaboration among team players. At the international level, there was the enhanced pride of playing for the country which was a great unifier.
For a team to do well, good players read the match situation and adapt on their feet. My mind goes back to 2008, Adelaide, when I was making a comeback, I did not attempt to hit a boundary for a whole session. What makes that match special was that in my score of 151, I never went for personal glory. I kept playing with only one thing in my mind, my team, team India. That thought that we were all together in this, that we were one unit and not individuals saved the test match. That was the most satisfying.
To be part of winning teams and doing well, that’s pure joy, and I am happy to have been part of the winning T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ICC World Cup in 2011. As a batsman, what will always be the most satisfying innings of my career was my debut test match against South Africa. Not just because I had a score of 105 on my Test Debut. But that day, at Bloemfontein, I associated with the team in a different way. I became someone who the team could rely upon, in all formats of the game. That innings turned out to be the launch pad of my career and, also helped me earn the trust and respect of my team management. That was truly the #TheWinningStroke moment of my career.