Sport

Team India hopes to revive its image

Vijay Lokapally

LEAVING NO STONE UNTURNED: Team India would be looking to get back on track after an unsuccessful World Cup. _ PHOTO: AP

DHAKA: Huge billboards of cricket heroes indicate the popularity of the game and the sensational performance at the World Cup, beating India and South Africa, has shown Bangladesh cricket in a new light. The emphasis on modernisation is evident at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, the new home of cricket in Bangladesh, with indoor training facilities and swanky dressing rooms a pleasant experience for the players.

Mutual respect

The venue has been decked up as India and Bangladesh begin the three-match one-day series on Thursday. The teams have mutual respect for each other and it is a good sign that India is not taking Bangladesh lightly. Indian skipper Rahul Dravid was pragmatic when observing, "Bangladesh has had some good results recently, not only against us but against South Africa as well. They have been getting a consistently good side and no longer can be called minnows or anything. Now everyone knows that if you want to beat Bangladesh you will have to play really well and to your best."

After the forgettable World Cup campaign that ended in a first-round exit, India is looking forward to reviving its image. Could this series be termed a fresh beginning for a team that is going through a transition? "I don't know if it is a fresh beginning. We have to keep a lot of things in mind.

This is not the end of something and beginning of something. It's an on-going thing," observed Dravid.

Shastri's role

It is indeed an on-going thing but the process that Greg Chappell visualised ran into rough weather and now Ravi Shastri has been saddled with giving the campaign a meaningful course. Dravid spoke for the team when he said, "What Ravi has brought in is his experience and his knowledge. He is spending some valuable time with us. You have to understand that the coach has a role to play, but at the end of the day, players are most important and are responsible for everything. Coaches can help only to a certain extent.''

Shastri does not wave a magic wand but brings loads of professionalism to the job.

Indian cricket may have seen disturbing changes in recent times but the effort now is to get down to business. Actually it is a no-win situation for India. A victory over a team like Bangladesh does not count much but a defeat can have a devastating impact. Against this backdrop the team, without Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, does feel certain pressure to perform.

Dravid, however, is not perturbed. "I don't think it is rocket science; it is about preparing the players. That's what we did when Greg was around.'' The Indian skipper was right. There are different ways of playing cricket, but, as he noted, that takes a lot of time to evolve. "You can only do the best with the available talent and the players you have.''

Certain issues needed immediate attention. How to accommodate Gautam Gambhirat the cost of Virender Sehwag? Gambhir has form in his favour and Sehwag his reputation.

And there is Robin Uthappa too. The team management's dilemma is big indeed even as the rest fall in places with Piyush Chawla and R. P. Singh out of the 12 for tomorrow's match. In a late development, it was decided that Manoj Tiwari, who injured his right shoulder during a training session on Tuesday, will return home on Thursday.

Improved lot

Bangladesh has seen too many defeats in its long journey but of late has begun to savour victories that count a lot in the nation's desire to showcase the growing talent at its disposal. "If we play our game we will get a good result," said Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar. A plethora of young talent raises Bashar's hopes but he has a problem — fast bowler Mashrafe Bin Mortaza complaining of back pain.

The home team wants to build on its performance at the World Cup. Some of its players have grown up idolising the Indian stars. Now is the time to live some of their dreams. A series win against India could change the face of Bangladesh cricket but then a strong India is equally determined to make a few points on a pitch that curator Badiul Alam claimed was a belter.

The teams (from): India: Rahul Dravid (Capt.), Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Mongia, Ramesh Powar, M.S. Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, S. Sreesanth, Munaf Patel and Zaheer Khan.

Bangladesh: Habibul Bashar (Capt.), Shahriar Nafees Ahmed, Tamim Iqbal Khan, Aftab Ahmed, Saqibul Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Mohammed Rafique, Abdur Razzak, Syed Rasel, Javed Omer, Shahadat Hossain Rajib and Farhad Reza.

Umpires: Asoka de Silva and Nadir Shah; Third umpire: Enamul Haque; Match Referee: Roshan Mahanama.

Hours of play (IST): 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.; 1.15 p.m. till close.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu