India firm favourites for 2019 World Cup, says Virender Sehwag

He has even scored two triple Test centuries for India.

Virender Sehwag | Source PTI

Former Indian cricketer, Virender Sehwag who slammed two triple Test centuries for his nation has many records under his name. In an exclusive interview with the Telegraph, Virender Sehwag opened up on various questions asked by them.

Virender Sehwag who recently went to Singapore on a vacation with his family says he is refreshed after the family vacation. On being asked about was he aware of Shikhar Dhawan's feat against Afghanistan in the historic Test, he added "I knew Sir Don Bradman had been 309 not out at stumps on the first day of a Test, against Australia... But, to be honest, I didn't know even a 100 in the opening session of a Test would constitute a record (for India). Of course, I did know it would be something very special and, yes, I'd been keen to get to three figures... If I recall correctly, I had three balls off Corey Collymore to get two runs, but couldn't. When we came in for lunch, fellow-opener Wasim Jaffer said 'record miss ho gaya'

Virender Sehwag also opened up when questioned on the relevance of cricketing records in his  career. He answered  "If that was so, all the records would have been mine! Was I disappointed at not getting the 100th run that morning? I was, yes".

The explosive opening player also had a few thoughts on if a bowlers reputation ever worried him.  Hee noted "the bowlers' reputation didn't affect me, but it's not that I didn't prepare for the bowlers. I'd study their footage, look at their strengths and then decide to target their weak spots... Aisa nahin ki Sehwag khali bat chala deta tha... Let nobody be under a wrong impression that success will come at the highest level without adequate preparation. It doesn't happen that way... As for not looking at the wicket, it was a conscious decision... I'm a man of positive thoughts, but it's not that a negative thought wouldn't creep in, especially if the surface had grass. Why get that to possibly play on the mind? Therefore, it was best not to look at the wicket."

Sehwag was also asked about how did he feel when Shikhar Dhawan achieved that milestone against Afghanistan in the one-off Test match.  He added  "I was with the family on vacation in Singapore during that one-off Test. In fact, we were on a tour of Universal Studios when Shikhar got to the landmark. So, I had to see the highlights. He batted beautifully... I'm happy for Shikhar". 

Virender Sehwag also kept his opinion about England's current ODI form and India's upcoming tour of England which starts on Tuesday, July 3.

While talking about England's current ODI form against Australia, Sehwag acknowledged England have recast the way they approach ODIs. "Not only have they changed the way they bat, the players have been backed to the hilt and a couple of failures hasn't resulted in their exclusion. They've been given opportunities and just look at England's line-up: Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Jos Buttler, captain Eoin Morgan... Each one of them is capable of quickly changing gears... Obviously, the T20 game has had its impact and it's fairly common for targets of 350 to be overhauled in ODIs... Be it ODIs or T20Is, it's tough to say what's a safe total... Basically, it's a mindset thing and the way you approach a particular format"

Virender Sehwag also chose his favourites for the 2019 World Cup that will take place in England next year. He added "certainly the favourites after India. For England to possibly become the favourites, they'll first have to handle our wrist spinners (Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal), both of whom are very good in their craft. Upcoming India vs England ODIs would really be interesting to study. Maybe even fascinating."

Sehwag also recalled how is it like to regain the World Cup and what are the things which go on while making of world champions, Sehwag added Hard work, the ability to cope with pressure situations... The preparation has to be such that the XI has absolutely the best chance of winning.

When asked about his advice for Virat Kohli for the upcoming tour against England, he added "Virat doesn't need my advice... I'm sure he'll get lots of runs in the forthcoming series and not return home disappointed, as in 2014". 

Virender Sehwag would be continuing to be Kings XI Punjab's mentor for the coming seasons of IPL as he also praised KL Rahul's performance throughout the tournament. He signed off by saying that he will be rooting for Roger Federer in this year's Wimbledon.

 
 

By Kunal Kataria - 02 Jul, 2018

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