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Sehwag feeling the pressure

Ashish Shukla in London | September 07, 2004 16:23 IST

An out-of-form Virender Sehwag is not in favour of making any changes to his batting techniques though he admits that he is feeling the pressure for his failure to give the team good starts in one-day internationals.

"I feel sorry and under pressure that I am not being able to give the team the start it needs from me at the top of the order and in the first 15 overs," said Sehwag, who had an ordinary outing in the run-up to the ICC Champions Trophy starting in London on Friday.

"Everytime I get out cheaply, it hurts me. I realise that the team has been disserviced."

Sehwag, who had a series of poor scores in the just concluded NatWest Challenge one-day series against England, said, "Frankly I feel nothing wrong with my form. I analyse my own batting and see my own tapes. I have not felt any need to make any changes.

"I have not yet felt the urge to consult somebody. Even my team mates tell me there seems nothing wrong with my batting. They have been very encouraging and feel it would soon fall in place."

Sehwag at the top has been of tremendous help to the Indian team in the last couple of years but his poor form of late has been one of the reasons for India's dismal shows.

Time and again, Sehwag is hitting catches inside the ring and he said it is been a mixture of good balls and poor shot selection which has led to his string of poor scores.

"It's a combination of everything -- some good bowling, bad shots and poor shot selection. I have been getting out before I can spend some time in the middle," Sehwag said.

It was Sehwag's poor run which led to his demotion in the third match of the NatWest Challenge at Lord's on Sunday and V V S Laxman was elevated in his place.

Sehwag makes light of this switch in his order and says it's not the first time he has batted in the middle order.

"I was taken into confidence by the captain and the team management. I have not taken it personally at all. It is not the first time when I have batted low in the order. I did so in New Zealand before the World Cup in 2003."

Sehwag is not too sure if playing cautiously is the answer to his present malaise but admits seniors players and coach ask him to spend some time at the crease and then runs will automatically flow.

"They ask me to spend some time in the middle. They say even if you take more balls to get to your first 50, you have the ability to make it up in the latter half. Even I feel what I need is just some time in the middle.

"I don't think one can pin-point any area because of which I am not making runs. If nets was the answer to all those who have struggled for form, then batsmen would have been batting at nets at all times."



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