'Score a 50 in this match, and you will be picked for the match in Perth' - Sehwag remembers Kumble's words

Former India opener Virender Sehwag burst onto the scene as a swashbuckling limited-overs cricketer. Not many gave him a chance to flourish in Test cricket, but the Nawab of Najafgarh exceeded everyone's expectations and had a long-lasting red-ball career, decorated with 8,586 runs in 104 matches.

However, it was not a smooth journey all along. The veteran was dropped from the Test team in 2007 and had to wait almost a year for a comeback. 

In an episode of the Sports18 show 'Home of Heroes', Sehwag shed light on that same phase of his celebrated career. 

He said, "Suddenly, I realised I was not part of the Test side; it hurt. I would have ended with 10,000-plus Test runs had I not been dropped for that period."

Although the right-hander was not in the best form, he was selected in the Indian squad for the 2007-08 Border Gavaskar Trophy on the recommendation of the then skipper, Anil Kumble. Sehwag did not play in the first two Tests of the series but found a place in the playing XI in the third match on the back of a century he scored in the practice game.

"Score a 50 in this match, and you will be picked for the match in Perth," Kumble had promised Sehwag. 

Living up to his words, Kumble handed Sehwag his Test comeback. The latter did not disappoint his captain and registered crucial scores of 29 and 43 in the match, along with taking two wickets in the second innings.

While Sehwag made decent enough contributions in the third Test, he showed his true colours in the final fixture of the series and played a major role in helping India draw the game. The batter hammered 63 and 151 runs, respectively, and also claimed two scalps on a batting-friendly surface.

"Those 60 runs were the toughest I scored in my life. I was playing to repay the faith Anil Bhai put in me; did not want anyone to question him for bringing me to Australia."

"I was focused on the striker’s end; on the other end, I spoke to the umpire, humming my favourite songs. The pressure was gone," Sehwag rekindled his 151-run knock. 

After Sehwag's blistering tour, Kumble gave him another promise.

"As long as I am the Test team captain, you will not be dropped from the side. That’s what a player yearns for the most, the confidence of his captain. I got that from Ganguly in my initial years and from Kumble later," the 43-year-old revealed.