Virender Sehwag should open again, says Sunil Gavaskar

MUMBAI: The 2013-14 Ranji season has been a forgettable one for Delhi dasher Virender Sehwag.

The former India opener opted to bat in the middle-order but failed badly. With only 234 runs from seven games at an average of 19.50, Sehwag, who scored just one fifty in 13 innings, is nowhere close to the top run getters of the season.

Former India opener Sunil Gavaskar, who has watched many of Sehwag’s great innings at close quarters feels the senior batsman should start opening the innings again.  “I think he is happier with the ball coming on to the bat. If you have opened the batting for such a long time, it is a little bit difficult waiting in the dressing room, waiting for your turn to go to bat.

“The best move for him would be to go back to opening. The new ball will come on to the bat; he can try and score off it,” Gavaskar said here on Wednesday.

The Little Master felt Yuvraj Singh, star of India’s 2011 World Cup triumph too can stage a comeback provided he works hard. “In cricket, nothing is impossible. You have one good season, one outstanding season and you can comeback. It is up to Yuvraj to show that he has got the burning desire for it. I think he has that in him.”

Gavaskar added that both Sehwag and Yuvraj need to make high scores to create an impact. “It is up to these guys to comeback with not just hundreds but double hundreds and stuff like that. Hundreds are not just to impress the selectors but they have to show consistency.”

The 64-year-old praised Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara for their consistency but felt that the upcoming tour to New Zealand would not be a cakewalk. “New Zealand again will be tough, playing in their conditions is never easy.

“All over the world, the record shows that home teams are tough to beat. They are going to leave grass on their pitches and that could work to India’s advantage because of the kind of new ball attack that India possess.”