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We are backing Warne to do well on this track
Steve Waugh - 17 March 2001
©CricInfo |
The weather at Chennai over the last two days has been a pleasant
surprise. While it is a bit humid, it's pretty cool and the
temperatures are nowhere near as high as they were during my earlier
visits. However, I do feel that it will get hotter during the Test,
and it would be a nice surprise if it remains this cool for the rest
of the week.
©AFP |
There are no surprises as far as the pitch is concerned, though. It is
hard, dry and has no grass, which is not unexpected. I had a look at
it this morning and I think it will be a good pitch to bat on for at
least the first two days. I have never thought of tosses as important
and am not about to change my mind on that. I think it is better to
think about areas which are in your control rather than worry about
those which are governed by luck. Keeping the conditions in mind, we
will be going in with both Shane Warne and Colin Miller. There have
been reports about how Shane is mentally and physically fatigued after
the Calcutta Test. I think that all the bowlers were pretty tired
after the Calcutta Test since they had to bowl three days on the trot
in very humid, sapping conditions. Which is why the entire team took a
day off yesterday and were fresh and fighting fit on the eve of the
Test starting Sunday.
©AFP |
As far as my team and I are concerned we are backing Shane to do well
on this track. He will be getting plenty of assistance and it will be
good for him to be bowling in tandem with Miller. Indians have not
seen much of Miller in the past and he is sure to be a bit of an
unknown quantity for them. In fact, it will be Miller's performance
that will have a big bearing on the Test.
©CricInfo |
There will be no changes in the batting order. I have full faith in
the batsmen and don't see the point in changing the combination. While
Damien Martyn is a fine player, he has not had much cricket in the
last two weeks. It would be a tough ask to expect him to come into the
team and score in the last Test. I'm sure it's more sensible to rely
on batsmen who have had a feel of things in the middle at Mumbai and
Calcutta. Besides all of them are proven performers who are eager to
come good in this crucial match.
©AFP |
We have had a couple of meetings about our defeat at the Eden Gardens
and our strategy for this Test. However, I believe that if you have
self-belief, a gameplan and confidence in your abilities, there is
nothing to worry about. This is our first loss in the last 19 Tests,
which means that we have a great team. Just two down days are not
enough to prompt us to change the balance of our side.
©AFP |
This is surely one of the toughest challenges of my stint as captain.
We are going into the last Test of the series which is in the balance
at 1-1, we have lost a gruelling encounter and this is the second of
back-to-back Tests. However, I am confident that my team is up to the
task and actually enjoys such challenges. We want this victory badly
and each one of us is willing to make sure that we achieve it in this
most crucial of Tests.
© Gameplan
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