Sehwag: ‘Consistency is key’

Sehwag and India captain Dhoni arrive in Dhaka ahead of their month-long tour [AFP]

India’s vice-captain Virender Sehwag has underlined the importance of a consistent approach as he and his team arrived in Dhaka ahead of their triangular one-day cricket series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

India climbed to the top of the Test rankings for the first time in December, but have not firmly established their position in one-day international cricket.

Sehwag believes that the team must maintain their momentum and play at a high level on a consistent basis to keep their place among the world’s top-ranked teams.

“I think our target is just to play good amount of cricket,” he said.

“You know, last two years we were playing very tough and good cricket. So hopefully we will do it in 2010 also.”

Top spot

“It’s important for the team to play well consistently. If you do that you will stay there in number one or number two positions,” he continued.

India are ranked second in the one-day format behind Australia but can close the gap with a good performance in the tri-series, which they start as favourites. They follow this series with two Tests against Bangladesh.

While Sri Lanka have made sweeping changes for the series, dropping key players due to injury and poor form, Sehwag said it did not make India’s task any easier.

“When the new players come nobody knows what he will do or what he does. It’s difficult for the teams to bowl or bat against them,” said Sehwag.

“I think Sri Lanka still are a good side. It will be a tough task for us.”

India defeated a full-strength Sri Lanka 3-1 in a recent home series dominated by batsmen and Sehwag, one of India’s key performers, was confident of more of the same in Bangladesh.

“I think whenever you play in the subcontinent you will get the same kind of wicket,” he added.

“It’s a good track to bat on and later on the wicket gets slower and slower and if dews are here then its a big factor.”

India captain Dhoni believes a bowling coach could only improve his team [AFP]

Bowling aide

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he was hoping for a specialist bowling coach to improve the depth of his team.

Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh were sacked as bowling and fielding coaches in October by the Indian cricket board after the country’s early exit from the Twenty20 World Cup in England and the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

Speaking before the team travelled to Bangladesh, Dhoni said; “to some extent it does hurt not having a bowling coach. If you have a specialist coach he is always interacting with the bowlers and trying to get the best out of them.”

“He (coach Gary Kirsten) has to look after everything: he has to sit and talk to the batsmen, bowlers, fielders, build strategies and look after team building.”

The Indian board has recruited former Australian fielding coach Mike Young as fielding consultant but has not decided whether to recruit a specialist bowling coach.