Dhoni lament Sehwag's nonappearance

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday rue deficiency of Virender Sehwag in the first two Tests against England.

Dhoni exclaim the opener is one of the few players in the world who could power the outcome of a game in a big way.

Sehwag, built-in in the squad of 17, is recovering from a process on his right shoulder and in his nonappearance, young Chennai opener Abhinav Mukund will open the innings with Gautam Gambhir at least in the first two Tests.

"We, as a side, rely on our openers quite a bit. A good start helps our middle order capitalize on it. There aren't many cricketers in the world that crash a game like Sehwag does. We will miss him," Dhoni said as India opens the tour with a three-day game against Somerset from Friday.

Dhoni insist that it was important for the openers to stand up to possibly the best international attack in the world. The Test series will begin at Lord's from July 21.

"England is a very good side; they frequently get abundance of runs. They take 20 wickets. We have to be at our very best," he said.

The Indian captain did not let himself to be weighed down by the fact that England; if winners by 2-0 in the series, could move them as number one Test team in the world.

"The basis of sport is to enjoy it. A lot of times you don't enjoy sport while playing top class cricket. We don't want to get into it the ratings aren't that important," he said.

Dhoni was also not ready to be besieged by England's strength and also looked at a few positives due in next few weeks.

"In West Indies, it was difficult to time after time score runs. Shot-playing wasn't that easy. It could be dissimilar here. You can play shots. The outfield certainly will be 200 miles faster than in the Caribbean which can be a great help to score runs," he said.

Over the next five weeks, in the four Tests, Indians can be assured of a huge support in the stands by the massive Asian population in the country. Dhoni recognized it but didn't think it would be the influential factor.

"Crowd support can push bowlers and batters to do that bit extra but frankly it's up to 11 players playing the match.

The bench strength and the support staff."

Dhoni did not forget to express his understanding with the victims of the Mumbai blast and hoped the pliability of Mumbaikars would help them overcome this tragedy as well.

"It's a sad event. It would be sad even if it didn't happen in Mumbai. Hopefully they will be soon being back at their best since Mumbai has resilience."

Coach Duncan Fletcher was by the skipper's side and said he did not think he would come back to England in such a way.

"Once I left England, I consideration that's it. I did a bit of consultancy before the coaching bug bit me again. When this chance came along, I couldn't turn it down."

From his short stretch with the Indians so far, Fletcher is frightened how too much cricket or lack of training isn't much of an issue with his players.

"They have played a lot of cricket. There is also a lot of cricket ahead. They played a Twenty20 game within hours of arrival in the West Indies, then a one-day game after two days. Still, the way Dravid and Laxman still prepare with strength - they might have played a lot of cricket but they don't show it. It doesn't seem to be an issue with this Indian side.

"In West Indies, I have never been concerned with those kinds of wickets, really spicy wickets in Barbados, it seemed all five days. Yet the team won. It appears in good space," he said.

Fletcher hinted if rules and conditions allowable, he would like to field more than 11 players in the three-day game against Somerset, beginning on Friday

He added: "We would like to play 13-a-side. Since this is the only first class game, the idea is to give practice to as many players as likely. But if there is a MoU alongside it, we would stick by it."

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"Feels extraordinary to be back in England"

India coach Duncan Fletcher told it feels odd to return to England with the blame to plot their downfall.

Fletcher was caoch of England from 1999 to 2007 and was chosen the Indian coach earlier this year.

"It's odd for me. I never consideration I'd be back in this role. When I left England I thought I wouldn't get (back) concerned with cricket. But having worked (as a consultant) with South Africa, New Zealand a bit and Hampshire to some degree - I sort of got the bug again," Fletcher was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

"It does seem a little bit odd coming over here. But I have enjoyed working with India, who I think had quite a good tour of West Indies. It's going to be a thrilling series. To be concerned with a top side and in a thrilling series is quite a challenge," he said.

During his term as the England coach, Fletcher had worked with some of the members of the current crop, particularly captain Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen and pace spearhead James Anderson.

"The team has distorted quite a lot. There is a pair of senior players that I know something about but the rest of the team has changed. We'll have to look at the tapes, look at the technique that certain players have got, we'll have to assess that over the next couple of days," he said.

Asked if he thought England is a better side now, Fletcher said: "It's difficult to assess what is a better side - or (what is) the best side in the world. If you want to look at the statistics, then you'd have to say India is (the best side in the world). England has absolutely improved under Straussy and Andy Flower. They have done a really good job receiving that side back on track."

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Struggle for number 5: Yuvraj or Raina?

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni faces a hard task of choosing between Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina for the number-five spot in the first Test against England.

It will be quite a choice for Dhoni as Yuvraj or Raina are together left-handers, both violent, both brilliant fielders and both worth a few handy overs of spin.

Raina has been inspiring in the recently-concluded tour of the Caribbean, where he scored 232 runs at 46.40 with three half-centuries on tracks that Rahul Dravid describe as the most difficult among all he has played in the West Indies in the last 15 years.

On the other hand, Yuvraj Singh showed his brightness in the World Cup.

While Raina manage to impress no less than famous batsman Sunil Gavaskar in the way he flinch not to one single short-pitched release from the West Indian pacemen directed at his torso, Yuvraj can flaunt his figures that shows seven half-centuries from the last 11 Tests he played and the success he has enjoy against England with 46-plus average.

Raina can certainly maintain that he deserves as much contact as possible given the wheels of transition have slowly begun to turn in Indian cricket. And there is every reason to keep him battle-hardened and not a discouraged young man when the time comes.

However, Yuvraj, if sidelined now, might not make a comeback and his otherwise glorious career would show just 34 Tests with 1639 runs during a fractured career of 12 years.

Raina can be probable to take on the aggressive off-spin of Graeme Swann like he did to leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo on the first afternoon of Jamaica Test against the West Indies that was a game-changing instant of the three-Test series.

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Tendulkar not idea of 100th hundred

Sachin Tendulkar is one century away from accomplishment 100 international tons and has an opportunity to achieve that on a historic instance at Lord's, where India and England will play the 2000th Test later this month. Tendulkar, who has 51 centuries in Tests and 48 in ODIs, however, said the landmark wasn't preoccupying his build-up to the game.

"I am not thoughts of records," Tendulkar told the Daily Telegraph. "I am just thinking of enjoying this tour. The secret to any presentation is not in chasing records. I think about, 'What is the best way to enjoy the game, and how can I improve that enjoyment factor?'

"If I enhance the pleasure then, naturally, the standard of play becomes higher. To me, that is more important. If I am playing well, things can happen. I don't need to go around chase them. It is a process. You construct a solid base and build on it."

Tendulkar opt out of India's tour of the West Indies, where they won the ODI series 3-2 and the Tests 1-0. It was India's first international task after their World Cup win, of which Tendulkar was an integral part. "I was extremely enchanted. It was something I had always dreamt about,"

Tendulkar said of India's victory in his sixth World Cup. "You start playing cricket, and one day you walk away as part of a world champion team.

"I took up playing serious cricket because in 1983, we won the World Cup, and that was a big turning point in terms of allowing for cricket a full-time profession. That instant was a decisive one. I felt, 'I want to play for India one day'. It was a huge improves. From then I started working hard."

When asked of his plans for the future, Tendulkar said it was main he left behind a good inheritance whenever he chose to leave the game. "For me, it's not about breaking records or creating new ones. It's about adding value to my team. Records will be set by me; they might be broken by someone else.

"They're not going to stay enduringly. But the feeling that I leave on people will last forever, I feel. The impression that I leave behind - to me that is important. If I can inspire the next young cricketers that will be a big contribution."

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