Bangalore, Mar 17 (PTI) As Hiral Patel smashed the likes of Brett Lee and Shaun Tait to all corners of the Chinnaswamy Stadium during a World Cup match here, Australian captain Ricky Ponting said the Canadian batsman reminded him of Indian swahsbuckler Virender Sehwag.

Patel's blazing 45-ball 54-run innings had the Australians on the backfoot before the defending champions regrouped to skittle out the Canadians for 211 and chase the total with ease.

"He plays a lot like him (Sehwag)," Ponting said after his team's seven-wicket win over the North Americans in a group A match here last night.

Ponting felt it would be difficult for the title-holders to fight back if bigger teams get off with the kind of blistering start that Patel gave to the Canadians.

"We did well to get wickets and restrict them today.