Sehwag shold stop batting like a pinch-hitter and start batting like a proper batsman. Notice how few singles he's taking? He's not going to score more than nine if he doesn't run hard, even if he bats at number seven. Look at Laxman– often accused of not scoring enough in singles, scored more yesterday in runs between wickets than in boundaries, and played out more scoring shots than dot balls. Why can't Sehwag? Whatever is keeping Laxman out of the ODI side is seen more clearly in Sehwag!
You think Sehwag doesnt know that ? Obviously if you or I can see the flaw in his approach, Chappell can. Cricket is a mental game and often you struggle mentally when things arnt clicking or you are putting too much pressure on yourself.
I think Sehwag outpsyches himself trying to live up to his reputation and give India explosive starts. He needs a time out from that. He should come in at #3 for the next 15-20 matches to build his confidence. That way he wont have pressure to give India an explosive start and instead will be able to work with a stage built. It will be a good way to get the monkey off his back and come back to form plus find some confidence.
Yadav is a tricky new-ball bowler and he's done best when he's opened the bowling. However, he's often bowled with an old ball playing for India, and has struggled to get it to move. In comparison, Bangar is a steady medium-pacer who can do quite well with the old ball and can hold up one end. He's also a few k's faster than Yadav. He may only score 20 or 30 runs, but if it's an opening stand of over 50 at more than a run a ball, it's good. Moreover, he doesn't have to be a quality top-order batsman, but just an explosive Afridi-style pinch-hitter. He blends quite well with his opening partner Amit Pagnis, so if both open for India in ODI's, it can come off well.
Well Pagnis and bangar are not going to be opening together. Period. One spot is garanteed to Tendulkar for the next few years and why shouldnt it be ? We are talking about the most successful ODI opener in history of the game and in the top 3 alltime in the ODI batting stakes ( along with Viv and Bevan). He had a 'bad season' in his last full season and he averaged 40+ in that.
So it is Tendulkar + another guy for openening.
And IMO pinch hitter is never a good idea unless used for shock tactics.
With the IND ODI team in disarray and world cups less than 2 years away, IND has to find a successful combo quick and pinch hitter is not the way. THey invariably get figured out and even Jayasurya had to tone down his pinchitting ways.
I think Laxman would succeed despite his angled bat approach - the close catching cordon is not as opressive in ODIs and Laxman is in a good nick right now - if he is to succeed in a role, now would be the good time to introduce him to it, instead of jerking him around and expecting him to pull off a VVS special every 5th ODI he plays.
Laxman, like i said, prefers to be a stroke-maker. One reason he averages low in the ODIs is because his modus operandi is to stroke a few boundaries to get confidence and then step into gear, scoring boundaries and singles with aplomb. In ODIs, he has rarely had that luxury but he can afford to have that luxury if he opens the innings. Laxman now is a much improved player from the 90s and opening ODIs for a strokemaker like him is gonna be an easier job than opening in Tests - indeed, Mark Waugh would never have been considered for opening in Tests but he did excellently as an opener in ODIs. I believe it is time to drop Ganguly from the ODI team for good and give Laxman a go.
As for the new guns, well i have faith in them but in today's age, players need to be groomed properly for international duty or else they can have their confidence shattered pretty fast. VRV, RP Singh, Sree Santh etc. all need a few more seasons of FC cricket to hone their skills because they are all very very green right now.
Pathan was an exception case and then again, he had built up about 25 FC matches experience before he debuted. Let VRV/RP SIngh/Sree Santh do that, instead of playing musical chairs with a few greenhorns and shatter their confidence.
They can offer India so much more in the long run if they are groomed properly instead of trying to find a quick fix and satiate the 'i want a good bowler now' culture.
PS: Tendulkar's debut was not a 'dream debut' - he struggled in Tests for a couple of years and struggled in ODIs for a while
