Tendulkar joins in on the opening debate

Sachin Tendulkar has joined the debate regarding India's opening pair for Tests, stating that it would be extremely difficult to pick between Aakash Chopra and Yuvraj Singh as the partner for Virender Sehwag in the coming season.

Speaking to the media during the Indian team's fitness training camp in Bangalore, Tendulkar said: "It's going to be a tough call. Either way, somebody is going to miss out. Both are equally good. It's going to be a difficult decision.

"If you pick Yuvraj, you lose out on a very good opener. And if you pick Aakash, you lose out on somebody who is exceptionally talented. It's a very tricky situation."

The opener's spot has come into focus over the last few days, after Sourav Ganguly picked Yuvraj as Sehwag's likely partner for the forthcoming home series against Australia. Sehwag himself disagreed with the move, stating the need for a technically sound, defensive batsman at the other end to balance his own aggressive instincts.

Chopra did an exceptional job at the top of the order in Australia, blunting their pace attack and providing solid starts which India's formidable middle order then built on. Chopra's contribution to India's success on that tour wasn't lost on Tendulkar. "Chopra has done exceedingly well as an opener on two tough tours of Australia and Pakistan. In the recent past, he is one of the best opening batsmen," Tendulkar said. "He looked very confident, solid and mentally tough. That's what you require as an opener."