Best chance to win in the Windies: Vengsarkar

Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar on Thursday joined in the chorus that India has its best chance of winning in the West Indies this time, saying the team should capitalise on the slump in Caribbean cricket.

"India has the best chance of winning in the West Indies. They [the West Indies] are no longer the team they used to be. India should exploit that," Vengsarkar told reporters in Kolkata.

Vengsarkar, who was in the city in connection with the selection of the East Zone Cricket Academy colts, said the standard of West Indies cricket has declined for a variety of reasons and it would take some time for them to rebuild.

"They have a lot of talent. But they have not been able to find the substitutes for some of the players who have retired. The present team is nowhere near the teams of the past," he said.

He felt India captain Sourav Ganguly would have to lead from the front and score a lot of runs to regain his confidence.

"He is a good player and should concentrate on his batting. He should score a lot of runs and that will not only give him the confidence but will also help the team," he said.

Vengsarkar, who is also the chairman of the Talent Resources Development Wing of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, said there is no dearth of talent in the country but the youngsters have to be groomed well.

Mail Cricket Editor