'I always knew Viru was a special talent '

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The focus of the second Test will also be on one man and he is someone who I have immense respect as a player — Virender Sehwag. It feels very satisfying to see him get to that landmark and I must say that in his case it’s a bit more special because of the way he has adjusted in Test cricket as an opener.

To be a middle order batsman all his life and then to make that jump at the highest level as an opener, speaks volumes of his talent and mental strength. He was selected as a middle order batsman in the era of Dravid, Tendulkar, myself and Laxman and so giving him an opportunity in the Test squad was difficult and I must say that in the past a lot of quality players couldn't play for India as they couldn't break into the team.

He got a hundred on debut in South Africa at number 6 and I have always looked up to players scoring runs in overseas conditions. It requires special ability and belief to do so and I knew from day one that this player is special.

Opening batsman are taught to leave deliveries around the off stump but here is one player who looks at it as a scoring opportunity. He has made players, cricket pundits believe that runs can be scored that way. He has scored triple hundreds and double hundreds in both forms of the game and in the same style.

What is his biggest strength is that nothing fazes him, whether he has got a hundred or a zero, he plays the same way. I have never seen a batsman whistle away before going to bat and he has done it repeatedly over a period. To me he is an all-time great, because he not only scores runs but changes the nature of the game and mind you he is not finished yet.

If I have to talk some of his best knocks then his triple century in Rawalpindi would be right up there. To score that much runs against the fastest in the world was just special.

Coming to the test match, India play the second test in Mumbai tomorrow and there is a big hype already in terms of the game.

Mumbai has always been a huge venue for cricket in India, a historic one and a Test match there has an added aura and importance to the cricketers and also the cricket loving public of the city. It is a very important test match in terms of the outcome of the series, with India being 1-0 up already.