India will grab numero uno position next year: Sehwag

India will grab numero uno position next year: Sehwag

New Delhi, Jan 24: After a fantastic 2008, swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag feels that India will become the number one team in world cricket next year.“I think in 2010 because if we win all the Test series in 2009, then we will be number one in 2010,” Sehwag said.The right-handed batsman further added that he wants to play his natural attacking game in all the three formats whether it is a T20, ODI or a Test cricket.“When I was growing up, I was playing a lot of 10-over, 15-over, 20-over games in Najafgarh. So I didn't want to waste a single ball and score runs on every ball because there are only 90 or 120 balls,” Sehwag told CNN-IBN.“It’s just my natural approach to batting and it doesn't matter if it’s a Test, one-day or Twenty20, I play the same way,” he added.Looking forward to the upcoming New Zealand tour, where India’s past track record was not very satisfying, the right-handed batsman said, “Last time the wickets were very damp and Tests finished in two days. This time we will get good batting pitches hopefully. I’m sure we will get good start to the team this year.” However, speaking about his opening partner and Delhi team mate Gautam Gambhir, Sehwag said, “I hardly knew Gautam before he made his debut in international cricket because we hardly played together in the domestic circuit or in company-level games.”“But I got to know from my friends that he is a very stylish and a talented opener. I backed him a lot in international cricket and in Ranji games, but he took a little extra time to perform in international cricket. But once he performed at the international level, he told everyone that I am here and I can rule. He did that and proved everyone wrong,” he said.Sehwag also stressed that a left-hand and right-hand combination at the top of the order is good for the team as the bowlers has to adjust quickly and have to bowl at right place every time.“Yes, the bowler has to change his line and length when I am batting and then when Gautam his batting. And both of us are very aggressive and are playing our shots; so it becomes very difficult for the bowlers to bowl in the right areas every time,” he added.The 31-year-old batsman also went on to add that despite performing well at the initial level of his career, coach and captains have not backed Gambhir, who in Sehwag’s opinion is the best left-handed batsman after the former skipper Sourav Ganguly.“When he first came into the team, he scored a hundred against Sri Lanka, a 90 against South Africa and a hundred against Bangladesh in Tests. But nobody was backing him. The only problem was that the captain and the coach were not backing him.”“I was convinced because I got to know about him from Aakash Chopra and Mithun Manhas that he is very talented and scores a hundred in every second innings. I backed him a lot but I was not the captain or the coach. I told them to stay with him but they refused and after he flopped in three-four innings, they dropped him.” (Agencies)