Why are India ignoring Sehwag for test matches ?

[Salamuddin]

V Sehwag averages 49.46 after 52 tests and yet he can't find a spot in India's 24 man squad for Australia....
This is despite possessing a good record against the Aussies (even in the five matches that he played against an Aussie side with Mcgrath around he averaged 40+ as opener)....
I haven't checked the raw numbers but I can't think of any opener other than Gavaskar who was more succesful for India.

I know Richard will come on here espousing first chance theory and pointing out how lucky Sehwag has been and all but in my book the bottom line counts and Sehwag's record is good. How on earth Gambhir is being considered as a test opener ahread of Sehwag ? Total travesty IMO....


It's equally puzzling that Sehwag is being included in India's ODi squad, a format where he has been extreemly inconsitent and has certainly not enjoyed the amount of success as he had in tests.

If you pick your best players as any team should, then Sehwag iMO at the very least should be the no 3 opener behind Jaffer and Karthik

 

[Perm]

I would have Sehwag in the squad TBH, seeing as how it's such a large squad and there is room for 13 reserves, I'm quite disappointed that he wasn't included. He averages over 50 as an opener, scores at a very good rate and provides another bowling option for India. As many people have said, his 195 at the MCG in 2003 was a superb knock and the only score of any note in India's first innings.

The thing that hindered his chances was his form in the few First Class games he has had the opportunity of playing. If he had been able to make a couple of fifties, or a hundred, then his place in the squad would have been pretty secure. Unfortunately for him both Gautam Gambhir and Aakash Chopra made the most of their opportunities and have been average over 80 in the domestic games they have played.

 

[social]

Basically, the Indian selectors are idiots

 

[Craig]

I would have Sehwag in the squad TBH, seeing as how it's such a large squad and there is room for 13 reserves, I'm quite disappointed that he wasn't included. He averages over 50 as an opener, scores at a very good rate and provides another bowling option for India. As many people have said, his 195 at the MCG in 2003 was a superb knock and the only score of any note in India's first innings.

The thing that hindered his chances was his form in the few First Class games he has had the opportunity of playing. If he had been able to make a couple of fifties, or a hundred, then his place in the squad would have been pretty secure. Unfortunately for him both Gautam Gambhir and Aakash Chopra made the most of their opportunities and have been average over 80 in the domestic games they have played.

Without sounding like Richard, he was dropped a three or four times (IIRC) in that innings and he did ride his luck during that innings. If you wanted superb, then go back to the Test beforehand in Adelaide with Dravid and Laxman scoring heavily or in Brisbane (IMO) when Ganguly his best Test innings knock or if not one of his best.

A 24 man squad is surprising so large for a trip to Australia, but I guess they want to cover their bases in regards to injuries and options.

 

[Pratters]

What has Sehwag done in recent times to deserve a place? Nothing.

 

[TheLad]

I have to say I find it odd. Sehwag has the ability to play well against Australia and previously has proven the point. With a current weak spot in the opening spot next to Jaffer I would have thought Sehwag would be given the chance to reclaim it.

 

[Craig]

It would be interesting if TEC came back (which hopefully he will for this series) because IIRC he was (and still is?) a fan of Sehwag and what his opinion of him is now. The place is poorer without him.

 

[Pratters]

It would be interesting if TEC came back (which hopefully he will for this series) because IIRC he was (and still is?) a fan of Sehwag and what his opinion of him is now. The place is poorer without him.

Have messaged him. I hope he responds.

 

[chaminda_00]

Aren't they going to cut the squad back to 15 or something before the tour. I'm pretty sure the current squad of 24 is just a prelimary squad. Generally experienced players who are out of form don't get pick in those type of squads. I'm sure the selectors are just using it to try and give him a wake up call. Mind you I don't think he will make the squad others are scoring more runs. He hasn't scored enough runs lately to get selected on past performances.

 

[iamdavid]

A 24 man squad is surprising so large for a trip to Australia, but I guess they want to cover their bases in regards to injuries and options.

It's only the 'probables' squad because they needed to get visa's and things arranged....final touring party will probably be 14/15 or so...

Was suprised Sehwag wasnt in the 24 man party tbh, he has been pretty average of late however he's played very little first class cricket over the past 18 months, although he has not impressed his oppurtunities have been pretty limited and I expected more faith to be shown in a player with such a great attitude and a good record against Australia.

Hope to see him back in the test set-up sooner or later, although I agree its very debatable whether he deserves a one day slot.

 

[Richard]

I know Richard will come on here espousing first chance theory and pointing out how lucky Sehwag has been and all but in my book the bottom line counts and Sehwag's record is good. How on earth Gambhir is being considered as a test opener ahread of Sehwag ? Total travesty IMO....

Have you had a previous account? I can't remember the last time I mentioned Sehwag's luck on CW, certainly haven't since May 2007.

Incidentally, where selection is concerned the scorebook line is all that counts, and I've always said that. I've never advocated, once in my life, leaving-out a player based on first-chance records, that's purely something to use to improve judgement of the calibre of play of a batsman.

And while Sehwag has been impossibly lucky in his career as a Test opener, most of that's been against Pakistan. Even excluding Pakistan he still averages 41.76 opening in Tests for India against Test-class teams.

The only Sehwag-opener innings not against Pakistan which I can think of where he was lucky was, as Craig's already mentioned, the 195 at The MCG in 2003\04.

Sehwag as an opener was incomprehensibly good for a fair while, really, playing any number of fine knocks: the 84 and 106 in England; the 147 against West Indies; the 130 against New Zealand; the tour of Australia where, while his highest chanceless score was 72, he reached the 40s 5 times and was only twice out for less than 45; then the 155 at home to Australia; the 164 and 88 against South Africa; the 76* against England; and the 180 in West Indies. I might be wrong about all of those being chanceless, but I'm absolutely certain some of them were.

It's only very recently that he's been exposed; in his last 20 innings he averages just 29.31, and that's despite that 76* and 3 excellent consecutive Tests in West Indies. And that's why he's currently out. Gambhir doesn't convince me at all and there's little doubt Sehwag's probably more deserving than him, and to not even be picked in a 24-man probables seems very odd (are there really twenty-four better cricketers in India than him?). But he certainly shouldn't be high in the list of the pecking-order for openers at the current time.

 

[Nishant]

It's only the 'probables' squad because they needed to get visa's and things arranged....final touring party will probably be 14/15 or so...

Was suprised Sehwag wasnt in the 24 man party tbh, he has been pretty average of late however he's played very little first class cricket over the past 18 months, although he has not impressed his oppurtunities have been pretty limited and I expected more faith to be shown in a player with such a great attitude and a good record against Australia.

Hope to see him back in the test set-up sooner or later, although I agree its very debatable whether he deserves a one day slot.

completely agree with that...in a 24 man squad, sehwag should be selected...however, as pratyush said, he hasnt done anything in the recent past to suggest that he is in the form he was in 2003...if there are players that do better than sehwag recentlly, then they have to be selected ahead of sehwag....you cant select players based on their history...is present form that wins you current matches.

 

[ramkumar_gr]

Basically, the Indian selectors are idiots

well said.

 

[pup11]

TBH i think the Indian selectors are getting confused by Sehwag's Odi form they should have just checked his test record to before dropping him the test team, he had poor test series in South Africa but other than that he has been in pretty decent form in test cricket and its not like that whoever has replaced Sehwag is doing any better India are still struggling to find a stable opening pair and i think Jaffer and Sehwag would make a pretty good opening pair as they both could complement each other very well.

 

[Arjun]

We've seen folks with good Test figures carry bad ODI form even into their preferred form of the game. One obvious example is Harmison.

With Sehwag, it's not so much a question of being out of ODI form, as much as just out of form.

 

[Dissector]

Personally I would like Sehwag back in the squad. India's opening options are limited and it's crazy to ignore Sehwag when the likes of Gambhir and Karthik are given repeated chances. Especially on a tough tour of Australia you need people who know what it takes to score runs in Australia.

 

[jeevan]

It's only very recently that he's been exposed; in his last 20 innings he averages just 29.31, and that's despite that 76* and 3 excellent consecutive Tests in West Indies. And that's why he's currently out. Gambhir doesn't convince me at all and there's little doubt Sehwag's probably more deserving than him, and to not even be picked in a 24-man probables seems very odd (are there really twenty-four better cricketers in India than him?). But he certainly shouldn't be high in the list of the pecking-order for openers at the current time.

No there are probably not 24 better cricketers than Sehwag. However there is a set of eight batsmen (Jaffer, Dravid,Tendulkar,Ganguly,Laxman, Yuvraj, Chopra, Gambhir) and two wikcetkeeper-batsmen (Karthik, Dhoni) who are considered to be better. All of this bunch is better at their roles in tests with the probable exception of Gambhir. So the selectors are off by one selection in the prelim squad.

The squad for Australia is probably going to be 7 batsmen + 2 wk-bats + 2 spinners + 5 pacers. So being 8th best instead of 9th best wouldnt matter in the end.

 

[Anil]

based on current form, sehwag doesn't deserve to play test cricket far less go on the most difficult tour in cricket i.e, tour australia...not saying that there are a lot of happy alternatives but it would be better to blood young talent rather than go back to him unless he shows a significant improvement in form and fitness...

 

[silentstriker]

Blooding young talent is a ridiculous premise. You play the guy that gives you the best chance to win. I agree that this is not Sehwag, but still. You don't play young guys for the sake of playing them.

 

[Perm]

Blooding young talent is a ridiculous premise. You play the guy that gives you the best chance to win. I agree that this is not Sehwag, but still. You don't play young guys for the sake of playing them.

Especially not on a tour to Australia.