The enigma that is Sehwag

[Brainfade]

What is it about Sehwag that prevents him from doing well in the 3rd and 4th innings of a match? His average in 1st/2nd innings is 70 (!!) - in stark contrast to his 3rd/4th innings average, which is 30. I can understand small differences, but a delta of 40 is inexplicable. For perspective, Tendulkar averages 63 (1st/2nd) and 43 (3rd/4th), and Dravid averages 58 and 44 - both of which, while being a pretty big deltas, pale in comparison to Sehwag's. Interestingly, VVSL averages 46 and 47. There has to be a complex intangible reason, and not a technical one. Any thoughts? Boredom? Fatigue? I am bewildered.

[Serani]

More pressure in 3rd/4th innings so he cant play his natural game!

[Brainfade]

More pressure in 3rd/4th innings so he cant play his natural game!

Assuming that is true, one can extrapolate that reasoning to state that 4th innings come with more pressure than 3rd innings, and therefore, he'd do better in 3rd innings. His 3rd innings average = 31. His 4th innings average = 29. Not a big difference there - so I am not sure I am buying that line of reasoning (with all due respect, of course :-)).

[The Outsider]

Not pressure. Sehwag is the last batsman who would succumb to pressure. It's more to do with most wickets losing their true nature, slowing down a bit, and a bit of uneven bounce settling in. Sehwag is a very instinctive player and very quick to gauge the length of a delivery. He executes his strokes based almost entirely on the length of the ball and assuming a true nature of the surface and gets into problems if the surface does not remain true any longer. He has played the occasional innings like the one at Adelaide where he has revamped his game consciously to be more cautious and read off the pitch more on a wicket which was pretty up and down on the last day.

[kabira]

off late he is not doing bad in 2nd innings (3rd and 4th). His Chennai and Adelaide innings come into mind. There are other crucial innings when we were chasing totals recently.

[yoda]

I think he loses interest and focus in the game as it progresses.

[Ram]

There’s definitely a mental component to this vast disparity in records. Slow and unpredictable pitches alone couldn’t possibly cause this dramatic slump of averages b/w the first and second innings.

[ensd2]

The piste in day 1,2 is better for batting than day 4 and 5 and Sehwag with his attacking batting style perish when the conditions favours thebowlers

[thevortex]

Probably just a numbers thing... Nothing cricketing in it in all probability.

[Holysmoke]

Two many numbers in his mind in the 3rd/4th innings.