Sehwag''s magic touch can win a series for India, but it may be too late

Sehwag''s magic touch can win a series for India, but it may be too lateBirmingham (UK), Aug. 10 : Indian opener Virender Sehwag's selection in the third Test against England that begins at the Edgbaston cricket ground here from today, could be the key to India reversing its fortunes in the ongoing series, former off-spinner Vic Marks feels, but he adds that his inclusion may be just too late.

In an article for the Guardian, Marks said: "India require the cavalry coming over the hill to provide something very special. There is no guarantee that Virender Sehwag, in his first Test of the series, can come to the rescue, but he is just the sort of man who might."

He further writes: "Sehwag is an instinctive cricketer, who within an hour can change the mood of a match or even a series. It need not matter much that he looked out of sorts at Northampton."

"He has no right to be in any sort of form to produce an epic Test innings, but for a batsman like him, it sometimes takes just one shot. It might be an effortless, perfectly timed cover drive, probably with only an imperceptible movement of the feet, which gets the juices flowing again. After that anything is possible," Marks adds.

"England must be wary of him. The analysts know the stats: 87 Test matches, 7,694 runs at an average of 53 and a staggering strike rate of 81," Marks warns.

He urges England to remember Sehwag's innings of 83 of 68 balls in Chennai in December 2008.

It was a Test match that England had dominated for almost four days. On the fourth afternoon Kevin Pietersen was able to declare with a lead of 387 on a pitch that was taking spin.

Sehwag scored at such a rate that India knew that if they were still batting near the end of the fifth day they would win the match. And so they did with Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh at the helm.

It was Sehwag who had made that victory possible. (ANI)