Tendulkar return boosts India, but Australia are ready
There were things Sourav Ganguly and Adam Gilchrist agreed on but, on the eve of the third Test at Nagpur the jury was still out on what the pitch would do
25-Oct-2004
There were things Sourav Ganguly and Adam Gilchrist agreed on but, on the eve of the third Test at Nagpur the jury was still out on what the pitch would do. As a result, neither captain was able to tell journalists exactly which XI they each hoped to play, and yet there was still plenty to talk about.
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Sourav Ganguly
On the pitch
It's definitely a very important Test match and it's going to be a good cricketing wicket. It's got a bit of grass covering on it and I think it's going to be good for everybody: the fast bowlers, the spinners and the batsmen. It will turn as the match goes on, as the surface underneath the grass is pretty dry.
It's definitely a very important Test match and it's going to be a good cricketing wicket. It's got a bit of grass covering on it and I think it's going to be good for everybody: the fast bowlers, the spinners and the batsmen. It will turn as the match goes on, as the surface underneath the grass is pretty dry.
On Tendulkar's return
To get a player like Sachin back would be a boost for any team. The way he batted in the nets, it did not look as though he has not played cricket for two months. And his bowling will be very useful as well.
To get a player like Sachin back would be a boost for any team. The way he batted in the nets, it did not look as though he has not played cricket for two months. And his bowling will be very useful as well.
On whether there was a chance Parthiv Patel would open
No
No
On the opening combination
We've had two specialist openers in the last two Test matches: we've considered Yuvraj as an opener. We will go into the third Test in similar fashion. The selectors will decide between Yuvraj and Aakash.
We've had two specialist openers in the last two Test matches: we've considered Yuvraj as an opener. We will go into the third Test in similar fashion. The selectors will decide between Yuvraj and Aakash.
On whether he called the curator and asked him to take the grass off the pitch
I did that before the Test from Calcutta on the 20th. I don't think he's done much. Our strength is the spinners. But at the end of the day the pitch is up to the curator: I can only make a request. In the last two Tests we got pitches that helped the spinners, but obviously the curator here has his own ideas.
I did that before the Test from Calcutta on the 20th. I don't think he's done much. Our strength is the spinners. But at the end of the day the pitch is up to the curator: I can only make a request. In the last two Tests we got pitches that helped the spinners, but obviously the curator here has his own ideas.
Adam Gilchrist
On whether Australia have the edge
We're leading 1-0 so we're just in front. But, like Sourav has said and I have said, there's still a lot of cricket to be played. We saw in Chennai how quickly things can change. There's still ten days' cricket left.
We're leading 1-0 so we're just in front. But, like Sourav has said and I have said, there's still a lot of cricket to be played. We saw in Chennai how quickly things can change. There's still ten days' cricket left.
On the pitch
It's very difficult to judge what it's going to do. It's totally different to what we have come across so far. It looks like a good Australian wicket which is a bit of a surprise. We don't know how it's going to play: we have to wait and see and make our adjustments accordingly. If indeed it does play similar to Australian conditions we're going to have to make adjustments too, as we have been aligning our game plan to traditional subcontinental wickets.
It's very difficult to judge what it's going to do. It's totally different to what we have come across so far. It looks like a good Australian wicket which is a bit of a surprise. We don't know how it's going to play: we have to wait and see and make our adjustments accordingly. If indeed it does play similar to Australian conditions we're going to have to make adjustments too, as we have been aligning our game plan to traditional subcontinental wickets.
On Tendulkar's return
We've got plans about how we will approach bowling to him: we just have to execute them well. We have prepared for every Test this series as though Sachin was going to play.
We've got plans about how we will approach bowling to him: we just have to execute them well. We have prepared for every Test this series as though Sachin was going to play.
On the team composition
We have the same 12 as the first two Tests, with one change: Brett Lee comes in for Nathan Hauritz.
We have the same 12 as the first two Tests, with one change: Brett Lee comes in for Nathan Hauritz.
On whether Australia were under less pressure than India in this Test
I think pressure comes from yourself. There's expectations from others, but pressure comes from yourself. I don't feel like any of us are carrying anything extra or less in this Test. There's a temptation to feel we're so close to achieving the goal that we set out with but we're still a long way from that and we know it. There's no different mind set for this Test. If we try to go negative and play for a draw, that's not in our nature and we'll get ourselves into trouble.
I think pressure comes from yourself. There's expectations from others, but pressure comes from yourself. I don't feel like any of us are carrying anything extra or less in this Test. There's a temptation to feel we're so close to achieving the goal that we set out with but we're still a long way from that and we know it. There's no different mind set for this Test. If we try to go negative and play for a draw, that's not in our nature and we'll get ourselves into trouble.