Too many partners? Not a problem, says Sehwag

‘‘If that’s what the team needs at the moment, why not’’, he told The Indian Express today when asked how he felt about it. ‘‘I’ve been doing this (opening) for a while now and it’s my responsibility to see if things can be worked out.’’

Easier said than done, because openers, among all breeds of cricketers, operate on the basis of consistency and understanding. From something as simple as taking first strike to an action as vital as calling for runs, practice has made the best opening pairs perfect.

And, indeed, India’s fluctuating top-order has taken its toll on Sehwag, who hasn’t been able to strike the right chord in Lanka. It may even have to do with the fact that India’s season has just begun, but a familiar face at the other end would surely help.

Nevertheless, Sehwag prefers to stick to what has been asked of him —walk out with a new partner every match in search of an ideal one who could handle the position well in future.

He’s not disappointed that his batting has not clicked so far, nor does he entertain the suggestion that he’s been taking things lightly. ‘‘It’s just the beginning and things have not fallen into place. You never know what’s in store for the next match.’’

One likely eventuality in the next match is a sixth different partner. This time, though, the familiar face of his sometime skipper Sourav Ganguly, cleared to play from Wednesday.

‘‘Sourav could be there and there’s no question that he’s very good at that position but right now we are concentrating on all options possible.’’

NEHRA IN THE DOCK

Medium-pacer Ashish Nehra was on Saturday reprimanded by ICC match referee Mike Procter for excessive appealing in India’s first ODI match against Sri Lanka. The exact status of Nehra’s charge hasn’t been confirmed yet and is only to happen after the ICC issues an official release on Monday.

CHAPPELL’S REPORT CARD

Batting B+
To win with 14 overs to spare and six wickets in hand may seem A-worthy but the overdependence on Dravid doesn’t augur well. Kaif and Raina should have converted starts. And once again, 139 dot balls against 62 ones and twos is a bad stat.

Fielding B+
Raina again impressed with another sharp run-out. But overall fielding fell a few notches with Sehwag grassing a sitter and Yuvraj, among the best on the field, appearing lethargic. Dhoni’s feet were found stuck to the ground too often, missing a catch and gifting a few byes

Bowling A
Big improvement. Each bowler attacking despite facing an opposition that was playing in Test match mode. Main worry yet again is the fifth bowler — Sehwag and Raina gave away 62 runs between them in a low-scoring match

Team spirit A+
Despite stiff competition for batting slots, players seem to enjoy each other’s success

Pat on the back
Raina for facing a fiery spell from Lawson. Yuvraj, out of form but fighting it out. Dravid’s leadership; his ability to get his players to focus and his reliability with the bat make him indispensable

A stern word
Sehwag needs to spend time in the middle before the final because India ain’t taking the cup home without his input.