Upbeat Sehwag ready for Sri Lankan challenge

Virender Sehwag, who showed signs of being back to his rollicking best on the recent tour of the Caribbean, was confident that India would head to Sri Lanka and set right their recent record of underachievement on the island. India head into a triangular featuring the hosts and South Africa which starts on August 14, and Sehwag insisted that nothing less than victory would do.

"The last few times we've played in Sri Lanka, we've reached the final without winning it," he said. "This time, we're determined to go there and win the Cup."

He wasn't fazed by Sri Lanka's superb performances in recent times - Muttiah Muralitharan has picked up three consecutive 10-fors - saying: "Those are performances against other teams. One-day cricket will be quite different." He also refused to write off a South African side that would be without the services of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis. "South Africa have some exciting young players, but it will be tough conditions for them, with the heat and the slow pitches."

India's final preparation for the tournament is a cricket skills camp that will start in Bangalore on August 6. Instead of repetitive net session, the camp will focus mainly on centre-wicket simulations. "We bat according to a match situation," said Sehwag, explaining the drill. "The aim is not to get out, and also to score runs at the same time. It's not like nets are abolished or anything. If someone wants extra batting, they can come into the nets after that."

In recent times, with Sachin Tendulkar out injured, a number of batsmen have opened with Sehwag in ODIs, but when asked if the chopping and changing affected his game, his reply was typically forthright. "It doesn't make a difference who I open with. It depends on the combination that we choose to play. Now that Tendulkar is fit, he and I will open."

He also laughed off suggestions that players batting at different positions instead of having a settled order affected the team's stability. "Winning is the important thing, not keeping the same batting order," he said. "In ODIs, most teams experiment anyway."

The decision to opt for Kookaburra balls even in domestic cricket met with his approval, even though he suggested that the slow bowlers wouldn't be too thrilled by the change. "The Kookaburra ball swings more, but it won't be helpful for the spinners because the seam gets very flat within 30 or 40 overs." Given the nature of his game, Sehwag was also an enthusiastic proponent of Twenty20 cricket, saying: "It will be exciting for the public. If someone wants to go after work and watch a game, they can see a lot of runs scored."

The obligatory Ganguly question met with a brusque response. "Anyone can come back," he said. "Aakash Chopra has been out of the team for two years. If he has a good domestic season, he can come back. Gautam [Gambhir] played well in Australia [for India A], so he can come back too. It's the same for Sourav."

After the ruckus caused by certain extracts from John Wright's book, Sehwag was asked whether he thought regional biases played a part in team selection. "Talented players get picked, not matter whether they're from west zone or from north," he said. "Sure, maybe the North Zone selector will mention a certain player's name at a meeting, but he can't be picked without the others also agreeing. Without some sort of performance, whether domestically or for the A team of Under-19s, you don't get in."

Asked if he was disputing Wright's assertion, he merely shrugged. "I don't know in what context John said what he did. It's best that you ask him."