Sehwag inclusion down to Dravid

Sehwag's last ODI ton was in April 2005

Out-of-form India batsman Virender Sehwag was picked for the World Cup at the specific request of skipper Rahul Dravid, it has been revealed.

Sehwag, 28, has scored one fifty in 13 innings since August, but made a handy 46 in the series-clinching victory against Sri Lanka last month.

India's chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar said: "I was not under pressure, but I will always back the captain.

"Some players back Sehwag. He has done exceedingly well in the past."

After struggling for runs on India's recent tour of South Africa, Sehwag was dropped for the one-day series against West Indies.

But he was recalled for India's final warm-up series against Sri Lanka and came good with 46 from 44 balls in Visakhapatnam.

Sehwag has played in 167 one-day internationals, scoring 5,032 runs and seven centuries at an average of 31.18.

He played in all 11 of India's games at the 2003 World Cup, scoring 299 runs at an average of 27.18.