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Thursday, Nov 10, 2005

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Sehwag praises the bowlers

Sports Reporter

Finds captaincy easier after getting `used to it' in Ahemdabad

Rajkot: Virender Sehwag said he found captaincy in Wednesday's match easier because he was able to get "used to it" in the previous match. Speaking to newsmen after winning his first ODI in India as captain, Sehwag commended the efforts of all his four specialist bowlers.

"I decided to bowl first because we chased 300-plus against West Indies before," he said. "That's what I said in the team meeting and I instructed the bowlers to bowl a good line and length." The man from Najafgarh said the team had concentrated on eliminating wides and no-balls after a glut of such extras in the Ahmedabad match.

Support staff

On a question about how much coach Greg Chappell had helped the team, Sehwag said, "The entire support staff is doing a great job. They are giving us everything we need and we are happy with them." The stand-in skipper also spoke about the improvement in fielding the side had made. "If we save 10 to 15 runs, a score of 280 becomes 260. Yuvraj and Kaif showed what we can do today."

On his personal form, Sehwag said he was "irritated about not converting" his twenties and thirties. With Yuvraj Singh's unbeaten half-century, Sehwag remains the only top-order Indian batsman in the series yet to cash in. "Yuvraj played a good knock, it's good for him and the team."

Man of the match R.P. Singh said he felt no pressure to perform. On Irfan Pathan's influence, he said, "He helps me a lot, tells me what to bowl in different situations." Sehwag said R.P. Singh's ability to swing it both ways was his specialty.

Atapattu downcast

Sri Lankan skipper Marvan Atapattu was understandably downcast. "See, today was not a day things went right. Just 190 on a batsman-friendly track that too against India is not acceptable." He said a score of 240 with Muttiah Muralitharan playing would have made the match competitive. "This wasn't a bad wicket at all, but it wasn't the best either. There was a lot of turn and it was slowing up."

Atapattu said the only positives to come out of the series was fast-bowler Dilhara Fernando's return. He said the momentum lost early in the series had cost his side dear. "You saw what we did against South Africa beating it 5-0. In the later matches, we rested senior players, bowled half bowlers and still won," he said.

With one match remaining, Atapattu said he would like to finish the tour on a "winning note so we can refresh ourselves and comeback for the Test series."

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