da roleta： A win was the last thing on the minds of captain Sourav Ganguly andcoach John Wright ahead of India’s first Test against Zimbabwestarting in Bulawayo on Thursday with the duo emphasising that it wasthe performance of the team that mattered more
07-Jun-2001A win was the last thing on the minds of captain Sourav Ganguly andcoach John Wright ahead of India’s first Test against Zimbabwestarting in Bulawayo on Thursday with the duo emphasising that it wasthe performance of the team that mattered more than the result.”We are not looking at the 2-0 scoreline. We want to win sessions (ofplaying days) and if we play good cricket, the results will take careof themselves,” Ganguly told reporters after the team’s practicesession on Wednesday.”We are looking to play 10 days of good cricket. We don’t want to lookthat far ahead (at the result). It is like a batsman walking out (tothe crease) – he is not looking at a hundred straightaway,” he said.Wright was more clear. “Personally, I don’t like talking aboutwinning. What’s really important is that we play the first two hourswell, then the next two hours and the then the next two hours.”But that they were not totally oblivious of the ultimate objective ofwinning the first series win outside the sub-continent in 15 years wasevident when Ganguly said, “We have to set our records straight inthis series otherwise all our previous records will boil down tozero.”And he underlined it with “the bottom line is: play good cricket towin Test matches”.Ganguly refused to accept that India’s poor performance on foreignsoil was because of the fast and bouncy pitches. “I don’t think thewicket has got much to do with our performance abroad. If you gothrough the record of our top batsman – probably Das is playing forthe first time and Ramesh – but the rest of us nearly average 50 perinnings abroad. Sachin (Tendulkar), Rahul (Dravid) and I average morethan 50 abroad, more than what we have managed at home. So I don’tthink the wicket has been an issue,” he said.”I have been involved with touring Indian sides for five years now andI would not say we were never in a position to win abroad. We cameclose to doing it in the West Indies, in Wellington, in South Africa.Indeed the Barbados defeat was the saddest since we couldn’t get 120runs in the last innings. But this team looks to have it in them.”Then he went on to outline why he believed India would do well in thisseries. “We are now a unit. We have got together as a team which hasprobably been our strength in the last six months. I also think wehave the bowling strength to get sides out twice. We have struggledfor a third seamer on previous tours, and I think we probably have thesolution here. The team probably looks more solid than it has everbeen before. I don’t believe in harping on the past but the way I wefought in the Australia series and the way we came out of difficultsituations, I think, that has given me more confidence than thevictory (against the Aussies) itself. I think that’s going to help usand stand for us in tough situations.””I am also very confident about Bhajji (Harbhajan Singh). I think heis match-winner on any surface. But then he has to prove it,” Gangulysaid.What he probably left unsaid was that India have one of the bestbatting line-ups in the world despite some doubts over the performanceof openers Shiv Sunder Das and Sadagopan Ramesh.Wright was ready to give the duo a clean chit though. “I am happy withthe way they have shaped up. We would have liked them to play reallybetter in the first game. Opening is a critical position. We want togo through the first two hours and the first three batsmen are veryimportant.”The coach too was happy with India’s pace bowling options. “Obviouslythings are more optimistic now. We have the players who can get fourfive wickets. It is good because conditions here are different thanIndia. So seam bowling and catching will be important areas.”Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak was banking on his battery of young pacebowlers to exploit the Indians’ perceived discomfort against fastbowling on fast and bouncy tracks. Andy Blignaut and Baton Watamba areZimbabwe’s newest finds who along with Travis Friend and the skipperhimself form a potent attack.”They are young and don’t have much experience but they have gotgenuine ability. Only, they have to remember where they should bebowling to specific players… not to be overawed by names andreputations and who they are bowling at.”Streak chose Friend, who would be making his debut tomorrow, forspecial mention. “He has good pace and bounce and has the ability totake wickets on any kind of surface at any time. I think he would be agood prospect for us. It is a huge game for us, a huge series. We hada very tough one when we played in India but quite a few positivethings have come out of that. Obviously, playing at home we know theconditions a little better and we can give them a run for theirmoney.”Coming to the danger man, Harbhajan Singh, Streak said: “We watched alot of him playing in the Australian series. Obviously the wicketsthere were more conducive to spin. Each person has thought out his ownway (to tackle Harbhajan), and we have got some feedback on him andhow he has bowled in the two warm up games at Mutare and Harare. Not alot of guys have faced him, but hopefully, we have discussed how toplay him.”