Virender Sehwag should have played at Mohali: Sunil Gavaskar

Former India opener Sunil Gavaskar is not surprised with the decision to drop Virender Sehwag from the remaining two Tests against Australia. He however told NDTV on Thursday that he thought the Delhi batsman could have been given another chance to play, especially on a flat surface in Mohali.

Sehwag has been woefully out of form and has just 27 runs to show from three innings played in the ongoing series. Gavaskar however said that conditions in Mohali – venue for the third Test – would have suited Sehwag's style of batting.

"I am not surprised with the decision that the selectors took. Sehwag has been short of runs. But with the class and the record that he has, one would have thought he would be given another game particularly looking at the surface in Mohali. The ball comes onto the bat quite nicely and it bounces just a little extra which is what Sehwag likes to bat on," Gavaskar said.

The Indian selection committee on Thursday announced the squad for the final two Tests and left Sehwag out. No replacement however was named in his stead.

Gavaskar feels the decision to drop Sehwag may have been taken keeping India’s future tours in mind. Is Sehwag's career over?

"I also think at the back of the selection committee's minds would be the fact that India is now going to be on overseas tours over the next year and a half and therefore, are having a look at somebody else. There is a tour to South Africa coming up and rather than to blood somebody there, the selection committee may be thinking it's better to try somebody here," Gavaskar said.

Sehwag himself told NDTV earlier in the day that he is not ready to hang up his boots. He even tweeted saying he will trust his game.

Gavaskar too is confident that hard-work will bring Sehwag back in contention.

"All he has to do is get back to getting big hundreds in domestic cricket and he should be back in contention," Gavaskar said.