Virender Sehwag today exuded confidence that he would be fully fit for the seven-match one-day international series at home against Australia.
You could see the helplessness in his eyes. Virender Sehwag loves to be where the action is and on Saturday, he would have preferred to be at Centurion. Instead, the dashing, soft-spoken opener was at a city hotel with another dashing but outspoken opener — Kris Srikkant.
The only respite the Delhi dasher had was that he feasted on Tom Yum soup and curry rice at the Thai Pavilion, something he wouldn’t have been able to relish had he played against Pakistan.
Like the eyes, his voice, too, was a bit subdued. The hunger, though, was evident. While he ducked questions on Gary or rather Upton sutra with relative ease, queries pertaining to cricket got the straight batted responses. “I will be fully fit for the Australia series,” he declared.
Sehwag is set to lead Rest of India in the Irani Trophy against Mumbai from October 1 and he is up for the task. “I am looking forward to the opportunity,’’ he said, adding that a good knock or two in the season opener and the Champions League T20 would be handy.
When asked if he’s ready to don the Indian blue again, Sehwag let the outswinger go alone by pointing the finger towards chief selector “Chika Sir”. “It’s up to him (Srikkant),’’ he laughed. “I will play if I’m picked.
Srikkant was at his comic best where he politely told a Hindi TV journalist that, “Haamko Indi nahin aati, tum please English mein baat karna mangta.”
Sehwag also said he can’t throw from the boundary line as yet. “I’ll choose to field in the circle during the Irani Trophy and Champions League. I should be fully fit by the time Australia are here.” One wonders if the organisers did any good by asking Sehwag to autograph over 150 miniature bats. And matters only got funnier when a kid asked Viru to “give me you original autograph” at the lobby. A ‘tired’ Sehwag, who was 100 autographs (not out), could only smile!
The two were at the launch of a cricket-based savings account by Standard Chartered.
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