Former India opener Virender Sehwag has named Pakistani batting legend Inzamam Ul Haq as the biggest middle-order batter in Asia. He picked him above the likes of Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, and other greats.
Sehwag, considered to be one of the all-time greatest Test openers, called former Pakistan captain Inzamam-Ul-Haq the most superior middle-order batsman across Asia after legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Inzamam was one of the best batters of his era as the former Pakistan batter scored 11739 runs in 378 ODIs, while he hit 8830 in 120 Test matches, along with a Test triple century.
Sehwag suggested that Tendulkar was above the league of the batters and it’s unfair to compare him with anybody else.
“Everyone talks about Sachin Tendulkar but Inzamam-Ul-Haq is Asia’s biggest middle-order batsman. See Tendulkar was above the league of batsmen. So he doesn’t count. But when it comes to the most superior-middle order batsman across India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, I have never seen anyone better than him (Inzi)," Sehwag said on the ‘Breakfast with Champions’ show.
While praising Inzamam, Sehwag suggested that getting 80 runs in 10 overs was an easy task for the former Pakistan batter during that era.
“In that era - 2003-04 - he used to talk about scoring 8 an over. He would tell his partner, ‘Don’t worry. You’ll score easily. Means 80 runs in 10 overs. Other teams would panic but he was always too confident," he added.
Sehwag also recalled a funny incident involving Inzamam and Pakistani leg-spinner Danish Kaneria from 2005. This involved Sehwag asking Inzamam to change the field a bit as he wanted to hit a six.
“That was in 2005 in India. (Danish) Kaneria was bowling around the wicket right at my pads. They were trying to stop me from scoring. I played an over or two defensively. I said to him (Inzamam-ul-Haq), ‘Inzy bhai, it’s been a while. Now my legs are also hurting’… I told him to call the long-on fielder inside the circle.
He asked me what I would do then. I said that I would hit it for a six. He said you are joking. I said, ‘Send the fielder back if I don’t hit a six. He agreed and called the fielder closer. Kaneria bowled a googly. He didn’t know about this. I hit the googly for a six over long-on," he added.
According to Sehwag, Kaneria was upset because the field had changed and he had been struck for a maximum, but Inzamam advised him to focus on bowling.
“Kaneria got angry. He said, ‘Inzy bhai, why did you bring the fielder up?’ Inzamam told him, ‘Be quiet, you don’t know what’s going on here… Go back and bowl," concluded Sehwag.
