'Dhoni & Co will have to put in extra effort'

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team will have to put in extra effort to regain the winning form, according to former India captain Gundappa Viswanath. Terming the Eden Gardens as the best venue he has ever played in, Viswanath said “hopefully India will come out with flying colours.”

Viswanath said that as India and Pakistan were playing a short series, it was imperative for the home side to find good form in the match on Thursday. “I am confident that India will do well as they will be backed by a very supportive crowd,” he said.

Regarded as one of the finest batsmen of all time, Viswanath recalled his own experience of the venue and the passionate support he received from the city. “The support here is very inspiring. I have played in so many venues but Eden Gardens is very special to me,” said the former Indian skipper, who will be felicitated at a special function during the break between innings.

Part of a cycle

Saying that the current slump in form of the Indian side was part of a cycle, Viswanath said it remained to be seen how fast the national team came out of it. “Every team goes through the cycle of ups and downs. Some teams take more time to come out of it like the case of West Indies, while there are teams like Australia that are quick to recover. India is still in the downward cycle and we can wish it comes out of it soon,” Viswanath said.

When asked to comment on the future of Dhoni as India captain, Viswanath measured his comment well saying that, “I cannot comment whether he should be rested. I know that he has an overall good record barring a few setbacks in some recent series. The team’s performance does not depend on the captain alone. Everyone has to come together to do well,” Viswanath said.

Another former India skipper Kapil Dev was focused more on the development of infrastructure. “The Indian Board should also help private academies to improve their infrastructure as many of the future players will come from these places,” Kapil said while inaugurating a specialised bowling machine at Sambaran Cricket Academy.

He also appreciated the general interest about cricket in the city saying that a lot of parents still come with their children to the academies, which has stopped happening in northern India. Viswanath said this passionate support could also be a big help in seeing India turn around with a win against Pakistan.