Sehwag had jitters about donning opener's role

Arguably the most lethal opener around, Virender Sehwag said he initially had jitters about batting at the top of the order before he settled in this role.

"I had doubt in my mind about opening the innings because so many reputed ODI openers could not do it," Sehwag said.

"It is only when I was assured of my place in the middle order that I decided to go ahead and then there was no fear,"
the Delhi opener said.

Sehwag was asked by the then captain Sourav Ganguly to open the innings and the Delhi batsman never looked back since then.

"I always believed he was too good a player to sit out. I had a simple logic that if you are a good player you can play the new ball," Ganguly said, explaining reasons behind asking Sehwag to open.

Sehwag recalled being dropped from the side after his debut series against Pakistan in 1999 and said it helped him learn how to play fast bowling.

"When I played Shoaib Akhtar, I had no idea what to do because before this I had never played such a fast bowler in domestic level. When I was dropped after the series I realised I need to work on my ability to play fast bowling and I started playing on number 6 then 3 and then opening position," the right-hander said at a programme on CNN-IBN channel.