Date:13/09/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/09/13/stories/2004091306901800.htm

Sport - Cricket

Ganguly pleased with four key batsmen

SOUTHAMPTON, SEPT. 12. Sourav Ganguly was pleased with four of the key batsmen showing good form against Kenya here on Saturday. "I am happy the way we hit the ball. I only hope (Virender) Sehwag and Yuvraj (Singh) too would recover their form," he said after India beat Kenya comfortably in the Champions Trophy at Rose Bowl.

"It's just a matter of time and I am sure they (Sehwag and Yuvraj) would be among runs soon. They are important players."

Ganguly praised Sehwag. "I liked the way he applied himself but he could have avoided that show.''

On his knock of 90, Ganguly said, "I tried to accelerate in the 90s and got a good yorker. It was unfortunate to miss out on a hundred again."

The India captain also praised the bowlers. "Irfan (Pathan) and Ashish (Nehra) bowled well consistently. Ajit (Agarkar) got a good game after some time. Harbhajan (Singh) is back to his best."

The Kenyan captain, Steve Tikolo, noted it was "rustiness of past 18 months'' that saw the team put up such a meek show.

"We started off very well in containing the Indians but later they took the game away from us.'' — Our Special Correspondent