The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Some areas of concern

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Friday, Nov 30, 2007
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Some areas of concern

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: Indian skipper Anil Kumble wants to wrap up the Test series at the Eden Gardens.

“We don’t want to let them (Pakistan) off the hook. We want to carry on the momentum from the Delhi Test and put up a formidable performance,” Kumble said at the media conference on the eve of the second Test.

Stressing on the team spirit, he said that there was a role for everyone in the team. “We are playing as a unit and we hope to continue in the same fashion,” and added that “there were certain places the team could have done better. There are certain areas the team would like to correct itself.”

Kumble said that there was no injury-related problem when asked about M.S. Dhoni’s injury. “As far as the team is concerned Dhoni is always fit,” he said.

The skipper spoke about the greater role for the local favourite Sourav Ganguly with the ball in addition to shouldering the batting responsibilities.

Kumble felt that Pakistan is missing Inzaman-ul-Haq. “He (Inzamam) has been a pillar of strength in Pakistan’s middle-order. The team is a good side and it will be unfortunate if some of the key players are left out owing to illness or injury. We will like to play the best Pakistan side,” he said.

Injury problems

If the Indian skipper’s mood was upbeat, his Pakistani counterpart Shoaib Malik was in a diffident mood, what with some of his key players either down with injury or illness. “It is a do-or-die situation for Pakistan. The team needs to win this Test to be alive in the series,” he said.

Listing the illness of some of his teammates, the Pakistani captain said both Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami were down with chest infection and were undergoing treatment. Their availability would only be known on Friday.

Speaking of his own injury, Malik said he did a bit of jogging and felt pain in the sprained ankle. “I will have to undergo another fitness test on Friday morning,” he said.

The Pakistan captain admitted that four specialist bowlers would be needed to win a Test.

On Danish Kaneria, Malik said the leg-spinner, like all spinners, would need time to emerge as a top-notch bowler.

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