“Well done Viru!” That is how Sachin Tendulkar reacted on Virender Sehwag’s magnum opus. Tendulkar left for Australia in the wee hours of Thursday, hours after which Sehwag broke his record of being the highest scorer and the only double centurion in the ODIs. Sehwag made 219 in 144 balls in the fourth ODI against the West Indies.
Tendulkar said he was happy that the record has gone to a teammate.
He also did not forget to mentionhis happiness for the fact that an Indian has broken his mark.
“I’m happy about the fact that someone who has broken my record is my teammate and an Indian,” Tendulkar told DNAon Thursday night, a few hours after he reached Australia.
He also said he is happy for Sehwag. “I’m very happy for Viru. Well done,” he remarked when asked for his comments about Sehwag’s blitzkrieg. Tendulkar had scored his double century in Gwalior against South Africa in February 2010.
Meanwhile, accolades kept pouring on Sehwag from other teammates and peers. Yuvraj Singh, who is currently sidelined due to illness, compared Sehwag to Viv Richards. “I’ve not seen Viv but I’ve seen Viru bat. A legend!,” Yuvraj told this paper. He further said: “What a player, 219 in a one-day game is next to impossible.”
Chris Gayle said it was a brilliant effort.“Well I did watch some of that innings by Viru.... Brilliant striking!! Congrats on ur 219. That’s child abuse! The Mask would say, Smoking!,” the former West Indian skipper said on Twitter.
There was also praise from across the border. “When Viv Richards retired I thought it was end of entertainment. But then came Sehwag, the King of entertainment! Long live the King!!,” was a comment posted on Twitter by Ramiz Raja.
