da brdice： Rahul Dravid sent out an ominous signal to Sri Lanka, saying his young team were better prepared to reverse their dismal record there
da pinup bet： PTI10-Aug-2006
A tight-lipped Dravid refused to tell of India’s strategies for the tri-series – but he said security concerns wouldn’t be an issue in Sri Lanka © Getty Images
Rahul Dravid sent out an ominous signal to Sri Lanka, saying his young team were better prepared to reverse their dismal record there. Dravid, India’s captain, said his teammates had worked hard on some of the problem areas which should stand them in good stead for the tri-series which includes South Africa and begins on Monday.”It’s a great opportunity for us to go to a place where we have not done well,” he told a press conference in Bangalore, prior to departure. “We have worked hard and we would like to get better there.”He added that the series would be challenging for them as they would take on two other good teams in their title hunt. “This is an important series.” he said, and identified the hosts Sri Lanka as a big threat for them, given their current form. “Sri Lanka are playing well – they even play better at home. So we have to play well there.”However, he refused to divulge India’s gameplan. “I cannot tell you the strategies before a week of the series. Strategy will be known on the match day. But, it is important to play according to the potential.Dravid would not disclose who will open the innings. “A lot of players have opened earlier. It is not an issue who plays up – rather it is important how we play.” Rather, there were other priorities. “We talked about batting in the middle overs on slow wickets, how to create best chance for scoring a lot of runs in that part of the match.”He added that the team must not rest on their laurels. “We need to keep doing better. We need to play better against all oppositions in all situations. That’s what you play cricket for.”Greg Chappell, India’s coach, added the experience of playing on slow wickets in the West Indies would come handy during the tri-series. “In Sri Lanka the wickets would be similar. It is about putting pressure on the opponents and resisting pressure. It’s about executing our plans well.”Chappell expressed hope that the innovative training the players were put through during the conditioning camp would benefit them in the long run. “You should not expect a miracle. They did different activities and met with many challenges which may help them.”Dravid said he did not consider the absence of a genuine allrounder in the team as an issue. “We don’t have a Flintoff or Kapil Dev, it’s true. But players like Irfan, Viru, Dhoni, Mongia and Raina are developing their skills and trying to compensate for that.”He added that he had no fears over security issues in Sri Lanka. “The Sri Lanka Cricket board is putting everything place.”
