Ishant's return to form was biggest positive: Sehwag

“It was good to see him hitting the straps in this Test. Ishant has sorted out some areas that he needed to sort out, and hopefully he will continue to bowl like this in the second Test as well. He is an asset for the team and Indian cricket,” Sehwag said at the post-match press conference.

The opening batsman expressed satisfaction over the performance of the bowlers in the first Test. “They bowled well in both the innings. We bowled them out for 240-odd in their first innings and then ended the match with more than a session to spare. So, it was a good performance from them,” he said.

Sehwag also defended the batting performance of the Indians in the first innings when they were bowled out for 243. “Such off-days can happen in cricket. Australia were bowled out for 127 against Pakistan (in the second Test in Sydney), still they managed to win that Test.
“We have a lot of positives on the batting front as well. Sachin’s hundred was important for us in the first innings and the lower-order too chipped in with some important runs then. Gambhir batted well in the second innings.”

He made a special mention of Gambhir, who made 116. “He is mentally very strong now. Being dropped from the Indian team hurt him a lot then, and since his comeback, he has grabbed the opportunities with both the hands. Our job together is to give a good start to the team, especially in the period, probably in the first 15-20 overs, when the ball usually does something.”