The Hindu : Sport : Sehwag considers taking a break

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 13, 2006

Sport

Sport

Sehwag considers taking a break

Special Correspondent

Pacemen's performance key to victory: Strauss

JAMSHEDPUR: Lack of application was the reason for India's defeat in the sixth one-dayer at the Keenan Stadium, according to skipper Virender Sehwag.

"We did not bat well at all. If even one of the top-order batsmen had been associated in a significant partnership (with Dhoni) at the start of the innings, it could have been an exciting game. The main reason for today's defeat was our batting failure.

"There was responsibility on every single top-order batsman. You can't criticise any single individual. If only Yuvraj, Kaif, Raina, Venu or Sehwag had played for any length of time with Dhoni, things would have been a lot different," he said.

On Kaif's form

On Mohammad Kaif's poor form, Sehwag said, "When the team is winning, you can afford to have one or two batsmen not in form. Captains don't usually change a winning combination.

"At the end of the day, it all depends on the situation. Maybe it is best for me to sit out a game, take a break. When you keep playing, it may not be possible to analyse things.

"Sometimes, rest is an option. Perhaps I will miss the next match, perhaps Kaif will. Rahul (Dravid) will be back as captain for the last match. It is up to him to decide what combination he wants," he said.

England superior

Sehwag acknowledged England's superior performance too.

"They played quite well. It wasn't that bad a total, but Strauss and Bell got off to an excellent start, and they didn't look back after that," he said.

Sehwag also defended his bowlers, despite the inconsistent show by the medium-pacers.

"There was lack of experience in our bowling attack today. We were playing without (Irfan) Pathan, (Ajit) Agarkar and Sreesanth. R.P. (Singh), V.R.V. (Singh) and Munaf (Patel) don't have a lot of experience, so they couldn't deliver. I am sure if they play more regularly, they will definitely deliver the goods," he said.

Tough luck

He had words of consolation for V.R.V. Singh. "It is not easy to perform in your first international match. I remember when I made my debut, I made only one run. You need to be lucky to be successful in your first match. Maybe V.R.V. felt a little bit of pressure, maybe he was nervous. But he is a good bowler, and I am sure he will bounce back in time," he said.

England skipper Andrew Strauss gave credit to the seamers — James Anderson, Liam Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood.

"I thought our seamers did a very good job. They were really hitting the deck hard in tough conditions, they bowled exceptionally well. I would like to look positively and believe that it was good bowling rather than bad batting by the Indians that kept them down to 227.

"The three pacers were the key to today's victory. They did a great job. To get India five down pretty early on a flat track and in difficult conditions was a fantastic effort.

"This was the quickest track of the series in terms of pace and bounce, and it probably suited our bowlers more than it did the Indians," he said.

Heat conditions

Strauss dismissed suggestions from the English media that the heat conditions were dangerous.

"I wouldn't call it dangerous. There were a few guys who were cramping up, but that's where the support staff comes in. You go on drips and you get high-carb drinks. But I wouldn't call it dangerous.

"There were 22 players out on the park and at the end of the game, none was injured. That tells the tale in itself," he said.

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