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Journalism of Courage
Virender Sehwag has found a sympathiser in former England opener Michael Atherton. Sehwag’s class, Atherton told this writer today, would eventually show in the forthcoming Test series against Australia.
‘‘This series will decide a lot of things for world cricket. Australia stood head and shoulders over the rest of the cricket-playing nations and India has challenged them well on their own home soil the last time they toured there’’, he said.
‘‘But most of all it is the best platform for Sehwag to show what he is made of by batting well against the Australian bowlers. It is up to him now to show how good he really is.’’ Everyone goes through a loss of form, the former England captain pointed out, adding, it is highly unlikely that Sehwag can stay out of form for long. ‘‘He needs to go to the nets and work hard on his batting. Take very little advice and just continue doing what he has been doing’’, said Atherton.
Disappointed with the Indian performance in the tournament, Atherton said: ‘‘They have played rather shoddy cricket and have looked extremely short of practice. In the third week of September, when the ball darts around, it exposes a lot of players who do well elsewhere. It was never going to be easy for them to get into it over here.’’
A veteran of several battles with the Aussies, Atherton said that despite the lack of form in the last couple of series, India should go all out and play their brand of aggressive cricket.
He also had special advise for the Indian batsmen to countering Glenn McGrath. ‘‘He is a world-class bowler and he does not bowl a lot of rubbish. If the top order batsmen decide to go after him they should do so on a full scale. It rattles him.’’
