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ICC
Champions Trophy – Gathering Clues from
Ganguly
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Our
special correspondent, Sarb Johal had the
opportunity to attend the media conference with
the Indian Captain, Sourav Ganguly after the
abandoned India Vs Australia match on 23rd
August, Videocon Cup, Amsterdam.
Here’s some of what Ganguly had to say:
On how frustrating it was for the game to be
called off given how well the team had performed
on the field :
It
is, but we needed to win this game to be in any
position to qualify. But we can’t help the
rain.
On the performance of the bowlers:
Yes
it was good, but I still think we need to
improve, especially the way we are bowling in
the last few overs. We all need to bowl well
together if we are to win consistently. At
present, it’s happening in patches. Two out of
three, probably three out of four are bowling
well, we need to lift our game so that we are
all bowling well, batting and fielding – which
we did today.
On the injury record of the Indian team over the
last 5 years:
Yes,
it’s really been a worry. But we do have to
realise that we do play a lot of one-day cricket
– we probably play more one-day cricket than
any other country in the world. I think that’s
pretty hard on the body. We’re travelling and
turning up playing one-day games which are
probably harder on the body that Test cricket.
But, yes, we have been in positions where we
have struggled to find a proper eleven, but at
the end of the day you get on with the game, and
at times we have done very well with guys who
have not been in the team. It just goes to show
that at the end of the day you pick guys who are
hungry and are keen to do well.
On the playing conditions in Amsterdam as
preparation for English conditions:
No,
I don’t think we came to Amsterdam for that.
We came to Amsterdam to play well in this
tournament and try to win it, just like any
other team. England will be a completely
different competition – that’s why I say we
take one competition at a time. We didn’t play
well against Pakistan and we don’t deserve to
be in the final.
Will this experience help you in England?
Maybe
yes. I hope it’s an eye-opener because we need
to lift our game up. We’ve played in England
before, so I don’t think the conditions are
anything new to us. It’s a fact that we have
to lift our game.
On the Australians and their batting performance:
A
30 over game, you can’t read much into it.
Batsmen don’t get time to settle down,
they’re playing shots – it’s not one of
the easiest wickets to bat on as well. So I
really wouldn’t make much of this, over 30
overs.
On thoughts about the upcoming Australian series :
That’s three times in a year we’ll have played
them, and I think that’s enough. We played
them in Australia, now here and then back in
India – I think we’ve played them enough
(laughs)… It’s going to be probably the
biggest series of the year – I think we all
know that. They’ll definitely be looking
forward to coming to India, and we’ll also be
looking forward to that series. I think it’s
an important series for both teams – we did
well when we went to Australia, we won in 2001
and if we can do it again, it will be very good
for our team.
On confidence of the team at Test level after the
Australian tour :
I
think the confidence at test level is very high.
We’ve performed well in Test cricket for the
last two years - we went to Pakistan and won in
Pakistan, and that’s obviously because of the
way we played in Australia in the Test matches,
and I hope we carried it into the series when
they come to India.
On expectations of Australia without Steve Waugh
:
I
don’t know
- we’ll actually have to play them to
see how different it will be. Steve was a legend
and people in India respected him. Obviously
this is a new side of young boys, and they did
well in Sri Lanka, so …we’ll have to be up
for it.
On Shane Warne re-appearing in the Australian
team:
He’s
their key bowler and he’ll make a difference
to any side. But you also have to realise that
we’ve played him well over the years – he
was in India in 2001 – but he’s still a
great bowler, the type that can win matches on
any day so, we’ll really have to play him
well.
On Balaji’s performance:
I’m
happy – he has a lot of character because he
did not have a good season in Sri Lanka, I’m
very happy with the way he’s come back. He had
a good series in Australia, and outstanding
against Pakistan – and he’s done well here
again which is good for the team.
On his thinking about the wicket-keeping position:
I
think Rahul’s doing well – he’s not
dropped a catch in this tournament … I think
that’s worked for us. I know we’ve got a
young guy who’s very talented and very good
(Karthik), but looking at the combination of the
side and the depth, I don’t believe in fixing
things that are not broken, and to be honest,
Rahul has done well. And when we go to England
where the ‘keeping won’t be as difficult as
in the sub-continent where the bounce is
variable and the ball probably spins a bit more
– so it will probably be relatively easier in
England, and he’s done well, so we’ll
probably continue with him (Dravid).
On possibly changing the order of the batting line-up:
We’ll
have to wait and see. Sehwag’s done well as a
batter – it would not be fair to put him down
the order on the basis of one or two series. I
would love to open in one-day cricket, but
looking at the combination of the team we’ll
have to decide.
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