He has a reputation of treating opposition bowlers with disdain but India’s stand-in skipper and dashing opener Virender Sehwag on Monday said the current Australian attack is the best he has faced as it has tested his patience like none before.
“This is the best bowling attack I have seen, especially Australia. They are not giving easy balls to hit boundaries, they are playing with your patience,” conceded Sehwag.
Sehwag has scored just 118 runs at 19.67 with one fifty from the series and he is still searching for those boundary balls from the Australians.
“I think they are bowling in good areas. They are not giving easy balls to hit boundaries. Generally, when I played in the past, I will get a couple of balls in early overs to hit boundaries but against this attack, I hardly get balls to hit,” he said.
Peter Siddle (17 at 19.58) and Ben Hilfenhaus (23 at 16.00) have invariably got the better of Sehwag in the series and the Indian opener is now inclined to rely on patience to get himself back in the groove.
“I think I have to show some patience. If I show patience, I will get some balls to hit for boundaries. It’s a challenge, it’s a great bowling attack and everyone is looking forward to do well against them. “I am looking forward to do well for whenever you do well against Australia, everyone praises and appreciates your performance,” said Sehwag.
As an opener, Sehwag, along with his partner Gautam Gambhir, hasn’t given India any start better than 24 in this series. “It’s not only the opening. All the batsmen didn’t score runs. When you go abroad and score 300-400 runs, your bowlers come in the game and try to get the other team out,” Sehwag said.
“It’s everyone’s responsibility to score runs, especially outside India. Unfortunately, on the last two tours, the batsmen didn’t score runs. “Yes, it’s important for openers to give good start but sometimes they don’t. It’s the responsibility of others batsmen to go and score. As a batting unit, we haven’t done well. Hopefully, we would do it here,” he added.
Sehwag supported the under-fire VVS Laxman and termed any decision to retire completely in the hands of the seniors. “It’s their decision. They would take the call. Nobody is discussing it in the dressing room. As for VVS Laxman, he’s looking forward to it, he’s up for it. He’s concentrating hard, practising hard and also extra (nets).
“I am sure the player that he is; he would perform well in Adelaide. Australia is his favourite team and he has scored a lot of hundreds against them. I am sure he would do well.”
