At his destructive best, Indian opener Virender Sehwag can turn a match on its head with just a short stint at the crease but come this World Cup, he plans to prolong the agony for his rivals by being there for the entire 50 overs -- a feat he has not achieved before.
"I think I have never played 50 overs in one-day cricket. The maximum I have played is 43 or 44 overs. But this time I will try to bat 50 overs and give a good start to the team. I have been unsuccessfully trying this for the last 10 years and the effort is still on and will be there," Sehwag told reporters.
Expectations are sky high but Sehwag says he does not feel the pressure as his captain MS Dhoni and coach Gary Kirsten have asked him to play his natural game no matter what the situation.
"I think nobody is telling me what to do, that's the good part of our team. The coach and captain just allow me to bat the way I bat. So, they are not putting any pressure on me. They said you just go and play your natural game. If you score runs we are happy and if you don't score runs then also we are happy," Sehwag said.
"My role is to go out there and enjoy myself and give a good start to the team. If I score 20 runs in 10 balls or 100 in 70, 80 balls I am happy with that," he added.
"For the last three years, I was in a good frame of mind. I have changed a little bit. Now I give respect to the new ball. I make sure that I spend four-five overs before taking on the bowlers and try to give a good start.
"I know that I have Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Yusuf Pathan, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina in the middle-order, so I can go after the bowling straight from the first ball. But now I am trying to look for three-four overs and ensure that I give a good start to the team," Sehwag said.
Asked about the much-anticipated opening match against Bangladesh, he said the Indians are eagerly waiting to avenge their 2007 defeat on February 19 in Dhaka.
"I think we lost just one or two games against Bangladesh, one in the World Cup and may be one in Bangladesh only. So, our record against Bangladesh is very good. We know that in the last World Cup, we lost to them, so we are waiting for the match against Bangladesh. We are charged up for the game and hopefully, we will do well against them this time," Sehwag said.
Asked whether he has recovered fully from his shoulder injury that cut short his South Africa tour, he said, "I am taking regular treatment, so hopefully, I will be completely fine."
© PTI
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