Uthappa cannot wait to open the Indian innings
October 28th, 2011 - 9:51 pm ICT by IANSKolkata, Oct 28 (IANS) Getting a national recall after three seasons, Robin Uthappa cannot wait to open the innings to give India a rousing start in the one-off Twenty20 International against England here Saturday.
Making clear his preference to play as an opener, the aggressive Karnataka right-hander said: “I enjoy opening the innings. And definitely I will open.”
Saying that the call-up has given him another opportunity to prove himself in top flight cricket, Uthappa said he was dying to go out in the middle and enjoy himself.
“There is freedom to perform, more than pressure to perform. The way I play the game, that is I do well, then the team will have a greater chance to win,” said uthappa after a practice session at the Eden Gardens.
The Coorg-born player, who turns 26 next month, said: “I now only want to go out there and get the team off to a sound start.”
Sidelined since the Asia Cup in 2008, a year after playing a key role in India’s title conquest in the maiden edition of the ICC World Twenty20, Uthappa has worked on his consistency.
“I have worked on a lot of things. I have tried to improve on my consistency. I have realised the fruits of playing my natural game,” he added.
Uthappa said a win in the Twenty20 match after the 5-0 whitewash of England in the ODI would be like the proverbial icing on the cake.
But he cautioned that England, the world’s No.1 Twenty20 side, have the ability to bounce back. “They will definitely want to come back hard at us and finish the tour with a win. We expect them to come out all guns blazing,” he said.
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Tags: asia cup, conquest, consistency, cricket, eden gardens, guns, icc world twenty20, icing on the cake, key role, match, national recall, odi, practice session, preference, right hander, robin uthappa, three seasons, top flight, twenty20 international, whitewash