Team morale on all-time
high: Sourav
Rifat Jawaid in Calcutta
India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday rubbished all talk that his team's morale is low following the abysmal showing in the just-concluded Sharjah triangular series involving India, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Talking to newsmen at Hotel Airport Ashoka, before the team left for Dhaka, the elegant southpaw declared: "The team's morale is on an all-time high."
"How can one even think of making such remarks when our team has reached the finals of two tournaments, of which one involved all one-day sides. Ours has a very able combination. The present team comprises talented youths and good experienced cricketers. The find of Zaheer (Khan) and Yuvraj (Singh) have added a new dimension to the national side. These two youngsters are, in fact, the future of Indian cricket," the prince of Calcutta said.
In response to a reporter's question whether he is hoping to emulate Brian Lara's World record of 375 runs in Bangladesh, Ganguly said he wasn't eyeing any records against the Test debutants. He, however,admitted that Dhaka has always been a happy hunting ground for him.
"True, Bangladesh is relatively a weaker opposition in Test cricket. Every player aspires to set a milestone for him whenever he goes out in the filed. But this is not to say that we are visiting Bangladesh merely to create records. Our prime objective is to win. If records come the way, it always gives you great satisfaction," he added.
Team coach Anshuman Gaekwad sounded optimistic about signing off from the coach's responsibilities on a winning note. He said while the one off-Test match assumed historic importance to Bangladesh, it is just another outing for India.
The team left for Dhaka on Tuesday morning. There was tight security in and around the hotel premises. Players were strictly warned by Gaekwad not to entertain mediamen. Zaheer, when asked to comment on his bowling, expressed helplessness with a smile.
The November 10 to 14 match will be the inaugural Test for Bangladesh after the International Cricket Council granted them Test status in June this year.
Mail Cricket Editor
