In the upcoming episode of Home of Heroes, Sports18 newest offering, former India opener Virender Sehwag said that statistically Virat Kohli as captain may remain among the best but he could not build a team much as Sourav Ganguly did during his tenure.
“Sourav Ganguly built a new team, brought in new players and backed them through their highs and lows,” remembered Sehwag. “I doubt if Kohli did that in his tenure.”
The two-time World Cup winner said during Kohli’s captaincy, for 2-3 years, there was a trend to change the team after almost every Test, whether they won or lost.
“In my opinion, No. 1 captain is the one who builds a team and gives confidence to his players. He (Kohli) backed some players, some he did not,” said the 43-year-old former cricketer, who was promoted to opening by Ganguly during his captaincy stint.
When quizzed if Rishabh Pant’s career trajectory was similar to his, with limited success in ODI and T20Is but enviable numbers in Tests, Sehwag agrees and says Pant will be more successful if he opens in limited-overs cricket.
“We don’t play limited-overs to score 50 or 100 but to score at a brisk pace, no matter the situation or the opposition,” pointed Sehwag. “At no. 4 or 5, he will find himself in situations that demand greater responsibility, but if he opens, he will be far more successful.”
Cricket fans were actually stunned earlier this year when Pant walked out to open against West Indies in an ODI. He managed a 34-ball 18 but India coach Rahul Dravid knew what he was doing. As the U-19 coach, Dravid witnessed Pant’s credentials as an opener when he recorded the fastest U-19 international fifty against Nepal during the 2016 ICC U-19 World Cup getting there in 18 balls, followed by a century in the next match against Namibia.
Sehwag also earmarks Prithvi Shaw as the player to watch out for in the future. “He is a player who can bring back the excitement in Test cricket,” Sehwag opined. “Opposition will have to think if 400 would be enough with Shaw and Pant in our ranks.
“Shaw and Pant in one team could help India rule Test cricket, win World Test Championship,” Sehwag claimed.
In the earlier part of the Home of Heroes interview, Sehwag explained why it was more difficult to face pace great Shoaib Akhtar than Brett Lee.
Watch the first part of Virender Sehwag’s interview on ‘Home of Heroes’ on Sports18 at 7:00 PM tonight