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Wed Feb 26 2003 Issue No: 158
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Ganguly wary of England threat
Sourav Ganguly is not under-estimating England ahead of Wednesday's vital encounter at Durban. "We watched the England-Pakistan game on TV and thought England played really well," the Indian skipper observed. That said, Ganguly was quick to add that he had full confidence in his side's abilities. "I back ourselves to win," he said. "The batting appears to be looking good, but we have to get a really good score to win." With the match being a day-nighter, there are many who feel the toss would be important, as chasing under lights could prove a difficult proposition. But Ganguly refused to subscribe to this view. "I don't believe tosses make a difference. The important thing is to play well," he said. The Indian skipper probably made the statement after scanning through the recent records of matches at the venue which shows that Australia successfully chased 268 against South Africa in a day-nighter played as recently as in April 2002. When asked if he drew strength from his side's recent wins over England, Ganguly said, “What happened in the past is not important. It only shows we have beaten England and we can do it again."
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India facing spin dilemma ahead of England game
India are uncertain whether to bring back leg-spinner Anil Kumble for their day-nighter against England on Wednesday. India's highest wicket-taker in one-day internationals has not played in his side's last two games, but could come into his own on a bouncy Kingsmead pitch against an England team perceived to be weak against spin. "There are many batsmen who are susceptible to both Kumble and Harbhajan Singh and England are no different," India coach John Wright told reporters during a training session. "But it is always a tough decision. You have to look at the balance of the team and, if you decide to go with one spinner, which one do you go with." Kumble, India's most successful bowler in ODIs, took four for 32 against Netherlands and snapped up the only wicket during India's nine-wicket defeat by Australia at Centurion. But he has not played since then. Wright also went on to say that he expects Wednesday's game to be a close affair, despite India's recent successes over England. "We know them and they know us," said Wright. "But the Durban wicket will be a bit different from other South African wickets and it will all depend on how both sides adapt." India are familiar with the conditions at Kingsmead, having been based in Durban before the start of the tournament. They have also done their homework on impressive young fast bowler James Anderson, who took four for 29 in England's shock 112-run victory over Pakistan in Cape Town on Saturday. "You can't really say until you face him in the middle," said Wright. "But we have a few batsmen who can put pressure on any bowler if they settle down."
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India do not have what it takes to win the World Cup - Lefebvre
It is not the kind of news that Sourav Ganguly and his men would appreciate. Thirteen days after playing against India, Holland skipper Roland Lefebvre has dismissed England, Pakistan and India's chances of winning the World Cup. In a press conference after his side's 97-run defeat at the hands of Pakistan at Paarl on Tuesday, Lefebvre rated Australia, South Africa and New Zealand as the major contenders for the cherished trophy. "I don't think they (England, Pakistan and India) have got what it takes. All three of them lack a bit of confidence," the Dutch captain said. "England played solidly at Newlands against Pakistan. They probably are the best bet of the three teams to qualify for the Super Sixes," he went on to add.
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Sunil Gavaskar's record for most Test runs - 10,123 - was surpassed by Australia's Allan Border during his first-innings 88 against New Zealand at Christchurch in 1993. Border would go on to end up with 11,174 runs in a glittering 156-Test career, which continues to remain the record aggregate to date.
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