Mike Hussey says 'batsman like Sehwag is never out of form'

September 27, 2012

ShewagAustralia know exactly what Virender Sehwag is all about and how lethal he can be. The 195 he scored at the MCG in the third Test on Boxing Day in 2003 still serves as an ugly reminder. But while Sehwag has been awesome, he has also been awful. In the last Test series Down Under, he got out many times playing the cut shot or perishing caught at point, despite two fielders being stationed at that position.

Sehwag may be good, bad or ugly, but the Aussies are clear about one thing, there is no phrase like 'being out of form' in Sehwag's book. When veteran Aussie pro Michael Hussey was asked if it was a good sign for his team to have an out-of-form Sehwag ahead of Friday's Super Eight clash against India at the Premadasa on Friday, the answer was simple and precise.

"I would never say that Sehwag is out of form. He can miss out a couple of times, but we all know that every time he misses out, he is closer to the next big one. Normally, when he scores big runs, he scores them quickly... so I will never say Sehwag is out of form," he said.

In 30 ODIs against Australia, Sehwag has scored just 629 runs at an average of 21.68, with a highest score of 82. In T20 Internationals, his record is poorer. In five T20Is, the 33-year-old has managed 41 runs at an average of 8.20. It's amazing that the Aussies still fear which side of the bed Viru gets up from! Perhaps they are conscious of the fact that a desperate Sehwag with nothing to lose may just swing his bat without inhibition and connect, blowing the Aussies away in the process.

Australia are wary of their old nemesis, Harbhajan Singh too. Harbhajan has his tail up again, having taken four for 12 against England last Sunday. "Of course, he is going to strengthen the team. He is a class act, someone that we respect, but when you play Twenty20, you've got to be aggressive as well and try and put him under pressure. He did a fantastic job the other night, but I think we can play spin better than the English," Hussey said.

Australia know what is coming at them. "I suspect that they will bowl a fair bit of spin to us. Apart from the frontline spinners, the part-timers will also bowl at us. So, we have to adapt very quickly. It can often be a tough challenge."

You get a peek into the culture of the Australian team when Hussey is asked about whether it pains him to see his vastly experienced brother David being kept out of the XI. "It is a tough choice, really. You've got only 11 players and most often it is about finding that balance in the side. I would love to see him in the team."



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News Network
February 14,2020

Hamilton, Feb 14: Batting first, India finished at 263 for nine on the opening day of the three-day warm-up game against New Zealand XI here on Friday.

Hanuma Vihari made 101 off 182 balls before retiring, while Cheteshwar Pujara scored 93.

Besides, Ajinkya Rahane (18) was the only other Indian batsmen to register double digit score.

The likes of Prithvi Shaw (0), Mayank Agarwal (1) and Shubman Gill (0) failed to cash in on the opportunity.

Scott Kuggeleijn (3/40) and Ish Sodhi (3/72) shared six wickets between them for New Zealand.

Brief Scores:

India: 263 for 9 in 78.5 overs (Hanuma Vihari 101, Cheteshwar Pujara 93; Scott Kuggeleijn 3/40, Ish Sodhi 3/72).

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March 19,2020

London, Mar 19: Talking about the break in cricketing activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, South Africa pacer Dale Steyn said that the disease seems to be to the only topic of conversation these days.

"I don't know how to describe it. Doesn't matter where you go, everyone is talking about it - whether it is on an airplane or you are just popping into a grocery store. It just seems like it is the only topic of conversation," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Steyn as saying.

"Yeah, it's so strange. Normally if I am on holiday I'll be planning a fishing trip or a surfing trip. At the moment I am just chilling at home," he added.

Steyn was last seen in action in the Pakistan Super League where he took two wickets in two matches.

When asked whether he has enough hand sanitizers, he replied: "We just decided that stockpiling is definitely not the way to go. It is not fair on everybody who needs that stuff. I went to the grocery store the other day and everyone had bought all the toilet paper. We have what we need, and when that runs out, that runs out, and we need to go and get some more".

"We didn't feel it was necessary to go and absolutely just, like, zombie our lives up. There's other people that live on a day-to-day basis. They are not going to get all of that stuff, so we thought it was best not to do that".

Steyn also had a message for the fans, "Stay healthy, wash your hands, look after yourself, don't be greedy. Right now they are saying old people are really struggling, so if in a position to help, rather help them than help yourself. Pretty simple, really."

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the ODI series between India-South Africa and Australia-New Zealand have been postponed.

The start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has also been postponed until April 15.

Cricket South Africa has suspended all forms of cricket for 60 days while Cricket Australia has advised all its employees to work from home.

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News Network
April 14,2020

Melbourne, Apr 14: As all sporting action across the world has come to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic, Australian bowlers are pondering as to how Indian skipper Virat Kohli might play in front of no spectators.

India and Australia are scheduled to play a four-match Test series later this year, and it is being speculated that the series might end up taking place without any crowds due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Australian spinner Nathan Lyon on Tuesday said that it would be interesting to see how Kohli goes about it if he does not get a chance to get the audience behind him.

"He is probably good enough to adapt to any scenario. But I was talking to Mitch Starc the other day and we actually said that if we are playing with no crowd, it'll be quite amazing to see Virat trying to rev up the empty seats," cricket.com.au quoted Lyon as saying.

"It is going to be a little bit different, but Virat is a superstar. He will be able to adapt to any climate that we are able to play in," he added.
During the 2018-19 series, India managed to defeat Australia in Australia for the first time in a Test series.

Australia, at that time were without the services of David Warner and Steve Smith. However, the series later this year promises to be a mouth-watering prospect.

"I am excited about the prospect of India coming out to Australia, it's up there with the biggest series alongside the Ashes. They are an absolute powerhouse of the cricket world, and to have those guys out here is going to be fantastic. Playing in front of crowds or no crowds is out of our control, we have got to follow the advice of all the amazing medical people around the world," Lyon said.

"I have not thought about no crowds or massive crowds, it is just about the opportunity of playing against India again. They had the wood over us last time they came over here but we are a much stronger Australian cricket side at the moment, and I am just unbelievably excited about playing them here at home," he added.

Lyon was slated to represent Hampshire in County Championship this year, however, his stint was called off last week due to COVID-19.
He is Australia's third-highest wicket-taker in the longest format of the game as he has total of 390 wickets in Test cricket.

Lyon was last seen in action in the Big Bash League for Sydney Sixers.

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