Sport - Cricket

Chappell, Dravid confident

Special Correspondent

MUMBAI: Coach Greg Chappell and captain Rahul Dravid exuded quiet confidence before the Indian cricket team's departure for the West Indies.

Chappell said at a media briefing that it was time for the positives from one-day success to seep into Indian Test performances.

Asked whether targets for the team set by him were reached, he replied: "Targets I have set are generic, the focus is on the brand of cricket we are playing. I feel we are going in the right direction in one-day cricket, we need more of it in Test cricket."

Keeping the momentum

Dravid emphasised on the team's ability to maintain momentum and come up with consistent performances over a long duration. "Tours of the West Indies tend to be long. Indian teams' performances over long tours have not always matched the potential. It is vital to maintain continuity in performances and important for players to keep the momentum going," he said.

The Indian skipper observed that West Indies have always been strong at home. "The West Indies obviously plays well at home, only the Australians have been able to beat them at home. The home conditions, the crowds lift the players' spirits," he said.

Chappell, answering a question on Brian Lara's return to captaincy, said: "It is good for him. The incentive for Lara to perform has gone up now that he is in charge. And any team with Lara in its batting line-up is formidable."

"Test cricket is the real thing. That is why it is called a test. Maintaining the same level over five days is tough, compared to one-dayers where performance on a day is considered. India is doing well as a one-day side, there is scope for improvement. There is scope for plenty of improvement in the Test side also," he said.

"Successful teams over the years, Australia now and the West Indies earlier, for example, have done well in limited-overs before becoming powerful Test squads," he pointed out.

Dravid felt the team management's outlook would be restricted to the task on hand, instead of viewing the players' performances in the West Indies from the World Cup perspective. "The World Cup is a long way off. Our objective will be to do well against the West Indies in the one-day series, followed by the Test series."

India is scheduled to play a five-game one-day series followed by four Tests.

Burnout issue

On the burnout issue, Chappell said, "The balance is pretty good, I think. The idea is to have a break between series. Australia goes into a five-month break, which I feel is too long. We played a tough series before Pakistan, then backed into a series against England. It is when three to four series like these are backed up that the situation becomes pretty demanding on the players."

Dravid said the long break between the second and third Test on the West Indies tour was the result of BCCI's co-ordination with the West Indies board, taking into account the players' views and well-being.

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