Mumbai, December 9: Virender Sehwag, explosive batsman and one of the greatest entertainers of the game, earned himself an enviable place in the ODI record books by scoring 219 runs in the fourth ODI against West Indies. The cricketing world praised the beloved player’s achievement via Twitter and other media outlets.

The most glowing reactions came from the two men who perhaps pose the only threat to Sehwag’s record, unless Sehwag decides to fight.

“Well, I looked at some of those Viru innings… Brilliant hitting!! Congrats on your 219… That’s child abuse! (As) The Mask would say, Smoking!” tweeted Chris Gayle in his inimitable style.

David Warner was delighted for his Delhi Daredevils teammate, tweeting: “Wow, Test match tomorrow but still watching Virender Sehwag score hopefully 200. Unreal, and he (gets) highest ever.” Well done my friend!

As Sehwag marauded the West Indies bowlers, Kevin Pietersen knew something special was about to happen. His Twitter update read: “If you are a cricket fan, (sic) turn on your TV right now and watch some awesome batting. Sehwag (is) destroying WI. The world record is approaching.

Pietersen’s words proved prophetic. And when the record was broken, former England KP captain Michael Vaughan said: “I have to say Sehwag is the best player in the world to watch out for…”

MS Dhoni also conveyed his regards to the popular batsman via Twitter saying, “Ppl thought there were a few who scored 200 after (Sachin) paji, I always thought there were only ‘one, one of our legends of the modern era – Virender Sehwag. Well done viru pa, double it.

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly considered the innings as perfect preparation for the upcoming Australian tour.

“The double hundred will be a big boost to his morale with the difficult Australian tour that awaits him. You will find bowling attack, in different conditions in Australia. This double ton will give him great confidence, that’s for sure. This is a great achievement and I congratulate Sehwag for this incredible feat,” Ganguly wrote on his official website.

Zaheer Khan, India’s spearhead returning to action in Australia, told bcci.tv: “It’s a treat to watch Sehwag bat. He has scored two triple tons in Tests and now a 200 in ODIs. You have to have Sehwag’s batting style to do things like that. Once he knows it’s his day, he makes sure he has a big one. The secret of Sehwag’s success lies in its simplicity. He just sees the ball and hits it.

Sehwag’s memorable innings inevitably drew comparisons with the legendary Sir Vivian Richards. Yuvraj Singh, India’s 2011 World Cup hero, tweeted: “Never saw Sir Viv batting, but I saw Sehwag batting! What a player! 219 in a one-day match is almost impossible!

Former Pakistan captain Rameez Raja said: “When Viv Richards retired, I thought that was the end of entertainment. But then along came Sehwag, the king of entertainment! Long live the king!!

Popular Indian player Harbhajan Singh knows what Sehwag can do to a bowler’s psyche. “Hands down, Viru is the most dangerous batsman in world cricket.” » said the fiery cricketer. “I always said that in his time, no bowler could stop him. As a teammate, I am really proud that a special player like him achieved this feat,” he said.

Former South Africa all-rounder Jonty Rhodes, who said he “expected Sehwag to score a double century in ODIs”, was assisted by legendary Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir.

“I have always remained a big fan of Sachin Tendulkar and when he scored the double hundred against South Africa, one name that crossed my mind was that of Sehwag,” Qadir was quoted as saying by agencies press.

The dashing opener also received praise from Krish Srikkanth, the Indian chairman of selectors, who described him as “one of the greatest players (he has) ever seen” and the move as “incredible”.

While most of the world rejoiced in Sehwag’s genius, experts were trying to decode the secret of this man’s extraordinary ability.

Commentator Harsha Bhogle wondered aloud, “If (sic) Sehwag is achieving these goals because he doesn’t care about achieving them.” Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar echoed his views by stating. “It must be somewhere in his mind, but Sehwag’s 200 and 300 seem incidental as he launches an all-out attack.”

But there is one message that Sehwag would cherish the most given that it comes from the man he grew up idolizing and whose record he broke by accomplishing his feat. “I am very happy for Viru. It is even more satisfying that an Indian has broken my record,” Tendulkar said on the occasion.