"Whenever India plays Pakistan, I still get goosebumps," says Virender Sehwag on the famous rivalry

Virender Sehwag had made his international cricket debut in an ODI match against Pakistan in 1999.

Virender Sehwag | GETTY

Former opener Virender Sehwag gets goosebumps whenever the Indian team faces Pakistan in a cricket match. Sehwag recalled his international debut for India against Pakistan in 1999 at Mohali. 

Sehwag had walked into bat at number 7 in the ODI match and he was welcomed with a lot of sledging by the Pakistan fielders. He got out scoring only 1 run in 2 deliveries by fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. 

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"I was around 20-21 years old then. When I went in to bat, the players like Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Yousuf, and all other Pakistan team members, welcomed me by abusing me a lot. I even didn't know some of the bad words they used," recalled Sehwag to RJ Raunak on his Youtube channel.

"I couldn't say much in response then as it was my first game and was nervous as well. Close to 20-25k people had come to watch the game," he added.

It was in 2004, in Multan when Sehwag was unstoppable against Pakistan and smashed a triple-century; earning him the name 'Multan ka Sultan'.

"But later once I got settled in the team, then I responded to all the abuses with triple century when we toured Pakistan in 2003-04 and took a kind of revenge. For the same reason I think whenever India plays Pakistan, I still get goosebumps," Sehwag added.

The then India opener was the first Indian to score a triple century in Test cricket, smashing 309 runs. He stayed for 531 minutes in the middle and faced 375 balls in the innings which included 39 fours and 6 sixes. 

 
 

By - 03 Sep, 2021

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