Excerpts...
You defied a lot of people to stage Delhi's Ranji matches at Roshanara instead of the Kotla. Yet, Delhi failed to qualify for the quarters...
I'm not against playing at the Kotla but we needed a result-oriented pitch. We got to a stage where we needed four outright wins from five games. The Kotla is so flat. The Roshanara is seamer-friendly and I thought if we bat better than the opposition, we have a chance.
Did the decision go against you?
No. The Roshanara decision kept us in the hunt till the end. We got 13 points from two games. It produced results either way. If we had played dull draws at the Kotla, we would have been out before the Karnataka game. The batting let us down. Mithun (Manhas), Rajat Bhatia and I needed support. We lacked quality spinners but the Punjab game was the turning point. If we had batted better in the first-innings, we would still be in the competition.
The Kotla curator has lashed out at you for demanding a turner...
If as someone looking to make a comeback I am willing to open on green tops, if as captain I'm willing to take the heat, then why are people against result-oriented tracks? The wicket that had been prepared at Kotla wouldn't have produced a result in eight days. No one can accuse us of playing on a rank turner because we played three games at home on an absolutely lush green wicket.
Then there was the selection controversy over a young pacer who wasn't from Delhi...
I don't have agendas. If I see someone who is good, I don't care where he stays and which club he plays for. We picked this guy who had not played a single league game because all the seniors agreed he was good. If there's a good Delhi boy, we will pick him. I've played my whole life for Delhi, I know what is good or bad for Delhi cricket.
Are you happy with the selection structure?
Maybe there should be a three-member selection committee only, without a chairman, plus the captain and coach. Why should a chairman have extra powers? Selectors should be on the same platform.
The recent DDCA elections hogged all the limelight...
There should be more focus on the cricket. Ultimately, DDCA is there to promote Delhi cricket. They are not there to promote themselves or set agendas. The primary job of DDCA is to look after cricket, see where Delhi cricket is going at all levels. They should not be pleasing people or worrying about XYZ or proxies. The cricket should do well.
India would love to have Sehwag back in peak form, but he seems to be out of touch...
He is one of the greatest. Every batsman goes through these phases. The problem is we make such a big deal out of it. Eventually it's up to Sehwag as well. You have to keep working hard, keep believing. He's working hard.
As your body goes through wear and tear, is it necessary to keep making changes to your batting; go along with your limitations, so to speak?
I haven't faced that stage yet where my body doesn't follow the mind. But the more physically fit you are, the more mentally fit you are. It helps you concentrate.
Do you and Sehwag talk about the game off the field?
No, we don't. We are completely different characters. In the middle, of course, you try and help each other but it's not important to discuss your own game off it. My way of preparing is completely different from his. I love discussing my game with people who have similar mindsets...
Like Gary Kirsten?
Yes, someone like that. I could discuss a lot of cricket with him. He was intense, he was gutsy. We had similar mindsets. Sehwag has always been flamboyant, more talented, looking to take the opposition on. He's always played the same way.
Last time India went to NZ, you were at the peak of your game. This time you're looking to make a comeback as well...
That is history. I've been working as hard as I ever have. If you push me to scrutinize my purple patch, I would say at that time I was not desperate to get big runs. I was not even thinking of becoming the No. 1 Test cricketer. It was my first proper foreign tour, there was a lot of talk about my skills outside the subcontinent so I was just setting small goals. Maybe later I got more desperate for runs, too edgy about low scores, maybe more intense.
There's a view that playing in shorter formats allowed errors to creep into your game...
Nobody was saying this when I was scoring runs. When you're playing well, you want to use that form and play all formats. It's the same game. My stance, the weight of my bat, my backlift stays the same. It's the mindset that changes. I never thought the shorter format got me into bad habits like nudging or playing tip-and-run or jabbing to third man.
It's a mental thing, then?
Opening needs mental toughness. Whether you are in form or not, you still have to face the new ball. You need to be technically good enough to survive but the rest is mental. I started as an opener and I'll finish as an opener. I don't look at soft options.
Are you happy with the Ranji points system?
There should be more reward for an outright win, more gap between points between a win and a first-innings lead than the current six and three points. And why not play the matches over five days instead of four?
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