Virender Sehwag is considered one of the finest opening batters to have played for India. The Delhi star, who started his career in the middle order, made an instant impact when he was given an opportunity to open the innings for the country. He made his beginning as an opener in limited overs cricket but it was in Test cricket that he shone the brightest.
His attacking stroke play was a pleasant sight for Indian cricket fans, but for opposition bowlers it was nothing short of a nightmare.
Arch-rivals Pakistan have been on the receiving end of several Sehwag masterclasses and former Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar acknowledged that during a chat with Sehwag on Star Sports. The broadcaster posted a short video of the show on Twitter in which the duo can be seen reminiscing the past and the days when they played each other in opposing teams.
During the chat Sehwag revealed the name of the Indian player who had given the suggestion to then India captain Sourav Ganguly, about promoting him up the batting order.
Akhtar asked Sehwag, "Whose idea was it to make you open the batting?"
To this Sehwag answered, ,"It was Zaheer Khan's idea. He was the one who suggested my name to Sourav Ganguly and he asked me to open the batting. Before this I used to bat in the middle order and when I faced you for the first time in 1999, I was a middle-order batter."