I thought that was the reason the selectors picked Sehwag; so that he could open the batting. When you pick someone like that it has to have been accompanied by a great deal of thought, there has to be a strategic reason for picking someone who hasn’t scored a run. If India wanted a reserve middle order batsman, the selectors could not have looked beyond S Badrinath of Tamil Nadu. So hopefully Sehwag will play in the Test match and everyone will go back to the job they know best.

So how does one become optimistic about this tour? There is quality in this team, there is a great deal of experience and there is the lingering smell of victory in the air. Two bad sessions in South Africa undid a lot of good work but there were series wins in the West Indies, Bangladesh and England. Now Pakistan have been beaten comfortably at home and the atmosphere in the dressing room is cordial. Players are looking up to the captain who has made it clear that the pitch and such factors will not be used as excuses.And even though recent overseas wins have been fashioned by the bowlers, if the batsmen put runs on the board, India will be a different side.