Thaindian News

Noida, July 6 (IANS) India batsman Virender Sehwag Friday said Mahendra Singh Dhoni had a good side during the 2011 World Cup that helped him lead it to the title.

Sehwag said a strong team backed by the able leadership of Dhoni helped India win the World Cup after 28 years.

“Dhoni got a very strong team. When you get a strong team, it is easier to perform well just like Australia did at one point of time. We won World Cup because we had a very strong team which was ably backed by Dhoni’s leadership,” said Sehwag when asked what helped Dhoni to lead India to two World Cups, including the Twenty20 World Cup in 2007.

Sehwag, who is back in the national team for the ODI tour of Sri Lanka, said Sachin Tendulkar will be missed in the series. Tendulkar has opted out the series.

Sehwag said Tendulkar, who is approaching 40s, should have the right to pick and choose his innings.

“Not only me but the whole country misses Sachin when he is not in action. But one should realise that he is 39 years and he should be allowed to pick and choose which series he wants to go. He will certainly be available for the Test series against New Zealand,” Sehwag told reporters during the inauguration of Saba Karim-Genesis Pro-Cricket Centre.

Sehwag said he was fitness and is looking forward for the series in Sri Lanka starting July 21.

“I played almost all the matches in Indian Premier League and there is no fitness issue now. The ODI tour of Sri Lanka will also help me in preparing for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held there,” he said.

Asked whether he was concerned with the performance of some young Indian batsmen during the recent ‘A’ tour of the West Indies, Sehwag said: “Before I became a prominent member of the senior team I have also gone for ‘A’ tours. Some people get runs on this kind of tours and some don’t. That does not mean that those who fail are not good enough. The best part is that you can make mistakes and learn from it, try to rectify in your domestic cricket and come back stronger.”

When queried whether the future of Test cricket is threatened by the popularity of Twenty20 cricket, Sehwag said he sees no danger for the the longest format of the game.

“You ask any youngster and he would always tell you that he wants to be successful in Test cricket. You will see cricketers retiring from ODIs to prolong their Test career but you will never see a cricketer retiring from both Test and ODI to play only Twenty20,” he said.