Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 21 Thu. June 17, 2004  
   
Sports


Yuvraj relishes the prospect


Yuvraj Singh, almost a certainty to open in Tests next season, has revealed that he wished to follow the same route as Virender Sehwag.

Yuvraj, who is currently at the training camp in Bangalore, on Tuesday spoke about how Sehwag had blazed a trail with regard to opening the batting.

"He has done tremendously in the opener's slot," Yuvraj said. "So, if I can do the same and be as successful as Sehwag, it would be good for the team."

Having had a successful time as an opener with Punjab last season, Yuvraj was optimistic about his new role.

"I think it's an advantage because if one sees through the new ball, one can also score big runs. So, I am looking forward to the challenge."

In the last domestic season, Yuvraj opened in all the three matches that he played for Punjab. He found the transition very smooth and the report card included 138 against Delhi, 80 against Railways and 38 in a low-scoring game against Andhra Pradesh.

When asked if he will return to the middle-order if he did not succeed as an opener, he said: "When you play cricket at international level, you don't think about ifs and don'ts. Whatever the situation, you have to go through it, and be positive about it."

Picture
YOU BETTER SLOW DOWN: India captain Sourav Ganguly (R) shares a light moment with Virender Sehwag while Yuvraj Singh looks on in between training sessions on the third day of a fitness camp at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore yesterday. PHOTO: AFP