Bangalore: A day after Virender Sehwag said that he would like to play as a middle order batsman again, former Indian Test stars have given an unanimous thumbs down to his idea.
Sandeep Patil, Nayan Mongia and Ajit Wadekar strongly believe that Sehwag should continue to open the batting as his solid starts along with Gautam Gambhir was helping the team win more matches than never before.
Sandeep Patil, who himself was an attacking middle order batsman during early the 80s and was a member of the 1983 World Cup winning team, said the Indian team's new-found overseas success was mainly due to the solid starts given by the two Delhi openers (Sehwag and Gambhir) and secondly due to the lion-hearted bowling by the Indian seamers, particularly Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma.
"India's new-found success during their overseas tours is mainly due to the two smashing opening batsmen. So, to keep up the winning streak we need Sehwag and Gambhir at the top. If Sehwag decides to drop down the order the whole batting line-up will be affected.
"Where will they fit other main contributors in the middle order like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V V S Laxman and Mahendra Singh Dhoni? It will only create more confusions," Patil told Cricketnext.com on Tuesday.
"After almost two decades, India has managed to find a solid and absolutely fine pair of openers and now if Sehwag decides to come down the order, the excise of finding a suitable opener for Gambhir has to be repeated allover again and it might take years to find one. So at least for a year or so Sehwag should continue to open and only after a couple of the senior batsmen retire should Sehwag attempt this kind of a move," Patil added.
Patil also insisted that the fear psychosis created by Sehwag in the minds of bowlers world over should be utilised to the maximum for the next couple of days.
"It is not an everyday affair that we come across a pair of inspiring openers like Sehwag and Gambhir who have dished out some incredible starts for the team.
"The fear psychosis generated by Sehwag in the minds of new ball bowlers around the world is in itself a big advantage to the team as every opposition's focus would be on getting Sehwag out while the other batsmen will get away with minimum of attention," observed Patil.
"Moreover, when on song, Sehwag can tear any bowling to shreds and even if he clicks in a big way once in every four matches (Tests) or once in three matches (ODIs) it will be a big bonus for the team as the other players combined can win matches in between thus increasing the success rate of the team immensely," the Mumbaikar added.
"However, having said this, there is no harm in trying Sehwag out in the middle order only after the team finds a suitable opener and not in the immediate future as it would not be a good idea to tamper with the winning combination and Sehwag at the top will always create a certain amount of doubt in the minds of the bowlers as it is not an easy task to contain a marauding Sehwag," Patil said.
Former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, Nayan Mongia, though said that individual opinion should be respected, wanted Sehwag to play according to the need of the team as that should be a major priority for a player.
"I respect Sehwag's openness and the decision to come lower down the order. But the need of the hour is for him to keep giving solid starts along with his Delhi team mate Gambhir. They have been a revelation at the top of the order and have come up with solid partnerships that has helped India to score at a fast clip on the very first day of a Test match and put pressure on the opposition," Mongia said.
"Moreover, all his big scores, including the two triple centuries, have come when he has opened the innings and it would be wise to continue to do what he does best. Opening the innings will also give him enough time to plan his innings, particularly in the One-Dayers, where he could perhaps become the first batsman to score a double hundred," added the former stumper, who has scored a century as an opener against world champions Australia.
"Having opened the batting for India, I feel Sehwag's attacking instincts would suit the opener's role perfectly and it will not be an easy task for the rival fielders to even touch his power-packed shots when the ball is hard and new. Which-ever-way you look at it, Sehwag, as an opener, is more dangerous and effective than Sehwag as a middle order batsman," observed Mongia.
Former Indian skipper and coach Ajit Wadekar too felt Sehwag's desire to drop down the order would only disturb the well settled and most dreaded Indian batting line-up.
"It could be a big mistake if Sehwag drops down the order because the whole batting line-up will be disturbed. Moreover, Sehwag has taken to opening the batting like ducks takes to water and he should continue with his good work. He and Gambhir have proved they are the best pair in the world in any form of cricket by scoring at a very fast pace which has put bowlers under pressure and they should continue to hold sway over them for the next couple of years at least," Wadekar said.
"Probably once the senior Test batsmen retire, the Indian think-tank can ask Sehwag to come down the order so that he can add stability to the line-up. Right now the team management should persuade him to open the batting, irrespective of any failures he might face, because even if he stays around for an hour or two India will be off to a solid start, which clearly gives them an advantage in any form of cricket," he added.
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