Ganguly: We will go for a 2-0 win
Special Correspondent - 27 February 2002

It was a confident Sourav Ganguly who addressed the press ahead of the Delhi Test. With his team 1-0 up in the two-Test series and looking well on course to complete a clean sweep against Zimbabwe, the Indian captain had a lot to cheer about. In the pre-match press conference Ganguly answered a range of questions – from the brilliant showing of Sanjay Bangar to the poor fielding standards of the Indian team.

As the Indian captain, what are your hopes going into the Delhi Test, especially after winning the first Test?

After a win, obviously, we are looking to wrap it up. We are looking for a similar result. We will go for 2-0 win. We played the last game well and are looking to continue that effort. The boys are confident.

How do you assess Sanjay Bangar's performance?

He provides the right balance to the team. If he does well consistently, Bangar is going to solve a lot of problems for the team. He is a very promising cricketer especially with what he does with the ball. He does the reverse swing very well and is a very handy customer.

Will Bangar open the innings?

I don't think so. Deep is doing a fine job as an opener with Das so we won't disturb that combination.

Do you think with Bangar's century, Laxman would be under pressure to retain his place here?

I know. It would be a very difficult decision to make. No one produces a 281 everyday. He is a class player. There is absolutely no doubt about that. He will be back in form very soon.

Are you happy with Deep Dasgupta's wicket-keeping ?

Dasgupta's performance as a wicket-keeper left a lot to be desired. He has to improve a lot especially while standing up to spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan. He has improved but we will have to give him a bit more time. If he starts keeping well and also continues with his good performance as an opener, he will give the right balance to the team.

The Indian fielding has drawn a lot of flak. What have you got to say is in this regard?

Fielding is another aspect which has been attracting a lot of attention these days. The ground fielding was not up to the mark in Nagpur. We are trying to improve on that aspect and also work on our fitness. Fielding has been one of our weaknesses for quite sometime and we have to lift our fielding standards.

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