By Boria Majumdar
He wasn’t available for the two consecutive ICC World T20 Championships in 2009 and 2010. India failed in both. Many have said that it is his performance at the top of the order that has been the key in India scaling the pole position in Test cricket. Virender Sehwag, without doubt, will hold the key for India in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Watching his three year old son Aryaveer hit the ball with amazing consistency, Sehwag enjoyed an hour or cricket addabazi with Boria Majumdar at his New Delhi home. Excerpts.
BM: Are you fit? That’s the question billions of Indian cricket fans are asking.
VS: Yes I am and am much looking forward to the ICC Cricket World Cup. I couldn’t play the ICC World T20 in England and the following one in the Caribbean due to injury. I don’t want to miss out this time round. It is at home and is a great opportunity for us to do well as a team. We have the batting and the bowling to shine and I wish to play my part in this campaign.
BM: Is this the best Indian team you have played in?
VS: It is a very good team. It is difficult to compare with past teams but in 2003 also we did very well. This side, however, has a lot of very good players and has a great chance of doing well in the tournament. We now have the confidence and have been winning consistently and can win from any situation something that is different about the team this time round.
BM: A word on Sachin Tendulkar. I know you have said to me in the past that he can continue playing till 2015!
VS: Indeed he can. He has the skill to play on till 2015! He is still the best. As you know I call him the god of cricket. He practices more than a youngster, has more motivation than any youngster and is a legend of the game. We share a great rapport and look forward to giving India some good starts in the tournament. It will be great if we are able to win the Cup for Sachin. If he retires in the next one or two years this will be our best gift to him.
BM: And what about your own preparations? Are there any specific plans against the likes of Anderson or Steyn, who you have played a lot against in recent times?
VS: No. I play the ball on merit. If the ball is in my zone I will hit it. Whether it's Anderson or Steyn or Morkel, I will hit the ball if it is there to hit. Sunil Gavaskar had suggested that I give myself a bit more time against the new ball and I have done that in recent times. Not show respect to the bowler but to the new ball. Once the new ball is five or six overs old, I can play my shots more freely.
BM: What is your take on Dhoni as captain?
VS: Dhoni has a great team. A captain is as good as his team. He has some great batsmen and some great bowlers. In any situation he has the players to turn to and that explains India’s performance over the last few years. He is a calm captain and the resources he has under his belt allow him to be calm even when under pressure.
BM: Viru, you have had a great run in recent times except perhaps in South Africa. If i ask you to tell me what is the difference between Viru in Tests and in one-dayers, what will you say?
VS: Clothing. That’s all. I will hit the ball if it is in my zone and I play the same way in both formats.
BM: We lost to Bangladesh in the ICC World Cricket 2007 and that almost marked the end of our campaign. We are playing our first match against them in their own backyard. Any thoughts?
VS: It is a revenge match for us. As you said we lost to them in 2007 and that ended our campaign. This time around we are keen on exacting revenge. We have the team to do so and it will give us a good solid start to our ICC Cricket World Cup. All of us are focussed and looking forward to taking them on in our first match.
BM: How will you distinguish between the Indian teams of 2007 and 2011?
VS: In 2007 the team wasn’t a happy bunch. Greg Chappell had caused a lot of problems and there was no cohesion. Since Gary (Kirsten) has come in, he has done a splendid job with the team. Under him we have become the number one test side. He has pushed that extra bit and we have all realised that we can truly excel in situations of adversity. It is a more comfortable team under Gary and we have all seen the results. Hope we can do well in the ICC CWC as well.