Is Sehwag the Cause of Discord in Indian Cricket Team?

Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag is the man polarizing opinions in the Indian dressing rooms, according to a report in an Australian newspaper.

According to the report in the Herald Sun, there is a division within the team, over who should, in fact, captain the side. The report suggests that some favour Sehwag in the role, while the other section wants to see M.S. Dhoni continue. The report quoted Australian pacer Ryan Harris as saying the Indians were fighting among themselves.

Meanwhile, Indian batsman Rahul Dravid has insisted there is no rift in the camp.

When you are losing two-nil, that's part and parcel of what happens, suddenly everything is wrong, said the veteran player. So, there's absolutely no truth to those matters, he added.

The visiting Indians have had to field criticism directed at Dhoni's captaincy in the current series. The bowling changes and field placements have caused many to raise doubts over his ability to lead the team in Test matches.

In addition, Dhoni recently made a rather surprising declaration; he suggested may retire from Test cricket, if he is to play in the 2015 World Cup.

If I have to see through the 2015 (World Cup), I would have to retire from one of the formats, Dhoni said. At 2013 end, I have to decide if I'm fit enough to proceed in one of the format,' he added.

The Indians were beaten in the first and second Tests, in Melbourne and Sydney respectively. While the bowlers seemed effective in the first match, they were completely blown away in the second. The Australian batsmen, especially Clarke, Ponting and Hussey, feasted on the insipid bowling in Sydney.

The only consolation for India was the second innings of the Sydney test which saw batsman Gautam Gambhir return to form. However, Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid continued to falter, while Sachin Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman failed to build on good starts to produce big scores.

As the third Test gets underway at the Western Australian Cricket Association Ground in Perth on Friday, it is expected the Indians will work out a strategy to play with unity to salvage the series and their reputation as one of the best Test-playing countries in the world.