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InDepth headlines national business sports cricket regional entertainment technology world travel autos health | in-depth coverage > Cricket World Cup 2003 > India out to settle a score with Kiwis in ‘grudge match’ 19.53 IST 13th Mar 2003 By IndiaExpress Bureau 
India go into their last Super Six match against New Zealand at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Friday determined to erase the bitter memories of its recent tour to the Kiwi land.All the same the team is in a relaxed frame of mind because it has already booked a berth in the semi-finals and will play a relatively easy opponent. But the team is not taking the match against the Kiwis lightly for a number of reasons. The encounter gives India an excellent opportunity to avenge the humiliation of defeats on tailor-made wickets for fast bowlers in New Zealand. Though no one in the Indian camp is describing it as a grudge game, there is no doubt India would be out to seek revenge against a team whose survival in the competition depends upon the result of the game. "There are a few points to prove," said Indian captain Sourav Ganguly who was one of the biggest failures on that tour. "I have been waiting for this match for quite some time now." Indian coach John Wright, a former New Zealand captain, said the Indian players would be animated by the fact that they are in a position to dump the Kiwis out of the tournament. "If we beat New Zealand, they would no longer be a part of the competition. So we are going all out to win the game," Wright said. But the soft-Spoken coach hastened to add that it was not a revenge match. "There is no grudge. We just have to play as well as we have been playing in the last few games," Wright said. Incidentally, India had lost to the Kiwis in the 1999 World Cup in the Super Six. Also, it suffered another defeat at the hands of the ‘Black Caps’ in the final of the ICC Knockout Tournament 2000 held in Kenya. But then, New Zealand are a tough side, and it won’t be easy for India. They have played a few outstanding matches even though their passage to the Super Six was through the backdoor. They almost dealt Australia its first defeat in the tournament in their previous game before surrendering to the world champions. The Kiwis also think that they have the psychological edge, having beaten India comprehensively two months back on home turf. "We played very well against India at home earlier this year. India are obviously very confident in the way they're playing but that can be a weakness as well. We've got to open up some of the wounds we opened in New Zealand," captain Stephen Fleming said. Star Kiwi all-rounder Chris Cairns admitted that the drubbing India received might prove to be a blessing in disguise for them. "Maybe that series in New Zealand was good preparation to come here because they are playing some good cricket. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise for them," Cairns said. The key for India would be the effectiveness with which the batsmen handle the New Zealand fast bowlers. Of course, Jacob Oram and Andre Adams have not looked as threatening as they did on the tracks at home, but Shane Bond was in top form against Australia. Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar has cut many a dangerous fast bowler to size in this tournament and his duel with Bond on Friday promises to be an absorbing battle. With Virender Sehwag also managing to score some runs at last, there are likely to be a few fireworks in the opening overs. However, Wright was not concerned about individual sideshows. "These things take care of themselves. Sachin is perfectly capable of working out how he's going to play any bowler in this competition. As for Sehwag, he has had success against New Zealand and if he can bat for 80-90 balls, we are going to create big scores," he said. Sehwag, the only batsman to have come out of the New Zealand tour with his reputation intact after he struck two centuries, said the team was ready to make up for the losses in New Zealand and he himself was ready for a big score. Sehwag also pointed out that the venue, the SuperSport Park, would "uplift the morale" of the team that had beaten archrivals Pakistan in a memorable match at the same ground. New Zealand's main problem has been that it has not clicked as a unit. Cairns has just one 50-plus score while the support cast of Bond has been found woefully inadequate as was proved against Australia. Interestingly, Daryl Tuffey, the player of the tournament in the home series against India, has been kept on the sidelines after playing the first game against Sri Lanka. He could be back in the playing eleven on Friday. Kyle Mills, who also had troubled India at home, may also be included. In that case, New Zealand might opt to rest their only spinner Daniel Vettori. On the other hand, the Indians are performing well as a unit with the bowlers complimenting the efforts of the batsmen. The most heartening aspect has been the performance of the fast bowlers with Javagal Srinath, Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan proving to be a dangerous force. India is unlikely to change their winning combination though Anil Kumble might replace Harbhajan Singh. Cricket World Cup : Live Coverage, Match Reports, Score Cards in-depth coverage > Cricket World Cup 2003 > |
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