India say no to experiments

On the eve of his side's opening match against West Indies, Rahul Dravid suggested that India wouldn't be following the Australian way, and experimenting with their line-up ahead of the Champions Trophy. Australia left out five regulars on Tuesday, and still managed to beat West Indies by 78 runs, thanks largely to a stunning collapse that saw nine wickets fall for 29 runs.

"We're probably going to be playing what we think is our best XI, based on the situation and the conditions," said Dravid. "Selection is never easy. You have to choose 11 from 14, and benching three guys is always difficult. But we're not going to be thinking of the Champions Trophy or the World Cup while picking a team to win a match here."

He said that the quality of the opposition meant that India would have a good tune-up ahead of the bigger challenges that lay ahead. "It's good preparation leading into the Champions Trophy. We're playing against two very good teams. The standard of cricket yesterday was really high, and we're going to have to play really well and hit the ground running."

After South Africa's pullout and torrential rain ruined the triangular in Sri Lanka, Dravid said that the team couldn't wait to get on the field and get the season going. "We had a tournament where we couldn't even play one match, and we've had a lot of practice since," he said. "Obviously, everyone's eager to see if the things we've worked on in practice work for us in a match."

Looking ahead to the India game, Brian Lara had spoken of having a psychological edge over the Indians. Dravid, though, suggested that the series defeat in the Caribbean - West Indies won 4-1 after losing the opening match - wouldn't have any impact on proceedings here. "It's not playing on our minds," he said. "They played well against us, and there's determination and keenness to try and do well, but it would be the same against any team irrespective of previous results. You have to forget about success or failure that's in the past."

Not having watched much of the opening game, Dravid declined to say much about the West Indian performance. "I didn't see them bat. Obviously from what I've read in reports, they were in a very strong position at one stage and then Australia did very well to come back. It was shaping up to be a good game, but they couldn't build on the partnership that they got."

He also insisted that he wouldn't be influenced solely by Tuesday's events when it came to team selection. "I think you've got to view most games based on what we see, but we'll have a different pitch tomorrow," he said. "It looked like it was a bit damp this evening and it's got a few cracks, so I'd like to see how much it dries out tomorrow before making a final call on the one or two places that we have yet to decide on."

And while admitting that Yuvraj Singh would be missed, he said that he was focussed on the personnel available. "Yuvraj is obviously a very important player for us. He's been a crucial finisher for us, but it can't be helped. He's not around, and it gives someone else an opportunity to put their hand up and do a job for us. Hopefully, someone will show the responsibility that he [Yuvraj] has shown for us in the last year in one-day cricket."

There was the obligatory question about Irfan Pathan's struggles, with most people forgetting what an outstanding performer he has been in the one-day game over the past season. "He's had a lot of success in the one-day game, and there's never been an issue about him when it comes to that," said Dravid. "He went through a bit of a tough period in the Tests, and people tend to forget that he's only 22 years old. Because he's had a lot of success so quickly, they forget that he's still learning his trade. He's looking at different areas of his game, and looking to improve. How he gets over this little blip is going to be good to see."

There were also words of encouragement for Sreesanth, who is part of the squad but out of the 14 for the Champions Trophy. "He's taken it quite well and is working hard. These are ups and downs that you face as a young cricketer. Until you have a proven track record, you're going to face such situations. That's what I tell young kids, that you have to get yourself in a position where your selection is never in doubt. All of us go through that. It's how you come back and what you learn from these experiences that will finally decide how successful you are in international cricket.

"The easiest thing, and I'm not saying he's like that, is to moan and complain. People will give you sympathy and try to give you advice blaming other people, but the most important thing is what sort of realistic assessment you have of your own ability. We try and be as honest as possible with our young kids. In this day and age, people can get over-hyped and over-criticised, and we've got to keep things in perspective."