Teams should look to play out 20 overs - Sehwag

Indian batsman Virender Sehwag has said that teams can consistently post over 200 in Twenty20 matches if they are prepared to bat out 20 overs. Speaking ahead of the Indian team's departure for the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa, Sehwag said that teams tend to get the strategy wrong by going for quick runs early, often getting bowled out before the allotted quota of overs.

"The plan should be to play out the full 20 overs," Sehwag told PTI. "A score of 200 is on the cards if a team plays out the full quota. I have seen this happen often in England where I have played this format."

Sehwag was ignored for the tour of England owing to a loss of form. He spoke about how he had been preparing himself for the tournament, simulating the conditions the Indians would expect in South Africa, in terms of the pace and bounce of the wickets.

"I have been doing yoga," he said. "I want to control my game and aggression during the match days and hopefully I will do well. I have been practicing with synthetic balls on cement courts to get used to the bounce. I have also practiced against yorker-length balls as bowlers tend to get thrashed to all parts of the park. Therefore they are bound to resort to bowling yorkers and bouncers."

Sehwag added that the spinners will have an important role to play, taking the pace off the ball to make the batsmen check their strokes. "Hitting slower balls would not be easy and spinners have been successful in this game. I would also like to contribute with my offbreaks."

Commenting on the team composition, Sehwag said India's lack of experience at the Twenty20 level shouldn't count against them as a few members of India's young squad had been exposed to the format in England. He captained India in its only Twenty20 international, against South Africa in Johannesburg last December and won.

"Only five or six of us have not been playing but at this level one should be able to play in the tournament straightaway," he said. "It's good that youngsters are getting chances which will stand them in good stead when they have to assume bigger responsibilities."