Open with Sehwag at Perth: Jimmy

MUMBAI: Former Indian Test batsman Mohinder Amarnath believes that the obnoxious incidents over the last few days in Australia will only strengthen the resolve of the team to fight back.

“Anil Kumble will be charged up and so will the rest of the members. They have been at the receiving end over the past one week and will be eager to go to Perth and Adelaide to prove that they can match the Australians on the field,” Amarnath told DNA.

Amarnath, one of the finest batsmen against pace bowling of his time, felt that the Indian batsman have the potential to deal with the Australian speedsters thrown at them at Perth.

“This team has a lot of potential and if they believe in themselves they can come back from 0-2 deficit and draw the series.

Playing against Australia in Australia is the biggest challenge and overcoming the disappointments of the first two Tests and looking ahead and starting fresh will be the key for the team.

But we must guard against an Australian backlash too as Ponting and his team have been criticised for their on-field behaviour and would like to make it a clean sweep,” Amarnath said.

Amarnath said that the team had erred in not playing Virender Sehwag as an opener in the first two games of the series. “When you have picked Sehwag then it makes no sense not to play him.

He should have played at Melbourne and if he had failed then he could have been benched. I don’t know why Sehwag hasn’t been played yet.” Amarnath said that Sehwag must be drafted in as an opener at the WACA. “If you don’t play Sehwag when we are 0-2 down then when will he get a chance?”