Viv Richards hails Virender Sehwag for ‘reviving’ Test cricket

Legendary Sir Vivian Richards showered praise on former Indian opener Virender Sehwag for reviving Test cricket. Sehwag played with an aggressive approach at the top of the order and consistently delivered while opening the innings. 

The former Delhi batter scored 8586 runs in 104 Test matches at an average of 49.34 and a strike rate of 82.24. Sehwag was known to take on the opposition bowlers from the get-go and did a fantastic job for the team,

“When I watched Sehwag bat, I saw a reflection of myself. I found him even more dangerous than Shahid Afridi and Adam Gilchrist,” said Richards as quoted by News24.

“Test cricket was fading, but Sehwag revived the format. The kind of excitement he brought to the game is one of the reasons 15,000 to 20,000 fans are turning up even today to watch a weakened West Indies team—that’s Sehwag’s legacy,” he added.

Sehwag also reacted to Viv Richards’ praise and gave his gratitude to the former West Indies batter.

“Humbled, Sir @ivivianrichards You made bowlers fear batsmen — I just kept the tradition alive for the next generation. Test cricket will never die as long as there’s joy in attacking it!” Sehwag tweeted.

The former West Indies batter also lavished praise on Indian captain Shubman Gill and added the youngster is a three-format player.

“The way Shubman has performed over the last 4–5 years, I always knew he would excel in all three formats. He has a bright future,” he said.

Gill has been in tremendous form in the recent past and recently amassed 754 runs in five Test matches against England on his maiden tour as a leader. The right-hander continued his rich form against the West Indies, scoring a fifty in the opening Test match at Ahmedabad and backing it with an unbeaten 129 runs in the second Test at Delhi.