‘SA tour an opportunity for Test team to improve’
1 Sept 2013 1:25 AM IST
Former captain Sourav Ganguly reckons the upcoming foreign tours, starting with South Africa, will be an opportunity for the Test team to regain lost ground overseas after successive reverses in England and Australia.
They have been doing well in ODIs and Ganguly doesn’t think India’s Test team is on the decline either. ‘You need to give them some time and as I said, they have played overseas and at home in the past 10-11 years. Yes, we have had a hiccup in Australia and England but we have an opportunity this season in South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia to improve our performance and I don’t agree with the tag. Yes, They are a very good limited overs side but in Test matches too they have given results,’ Ganguly said.
Ahead of what is going to be a gruelling tour of South Africa, Ganguly had a piece of advice for MS Dhoni and his men. ‘He (Dhoni) has been to South Africa before and he knows how tough it is. It is not going to be just a one-day combination as Test matches are a different ball game. South Africa have got a great attack, they are a very good side at home. India have to play really really well.
‘India have been a good touring team in the past 10-11 years apart from the hiccups in England and Australia.
So, I can suggest that play positive and realise that it is a hard tour. It will be a tour that will challenge a lot of players and you have to raise your game,’ Ganguly told a teelevision channel.
Ganguly also did not rule out the possibility of currently out-of-favour players like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh making a comeback to the team.
‘Yuvraj Singh has been India’s great ODI player and Virender Sehwag is probably the best opening batsman I have seen after Sunil Gavaskar. Their records speak about their abilities. You can’t write them off.
They have been doing well in ODIs and Ganguly doesn’t think India’s Test team is on the decline either. ‘You need to give them some time and as I said, they have played overseas and at home in the past 10-11 years. Yes, we have had a hiccup in Australia and England but we have an opportunity this season in South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia to improve our performance and I don’t agree with the tag. Yes, They are a very good limited overs side but in Test matches too they have given results,’ Ganguly said.
Ahead of what is going to be a gruelling tour of South Africa, Ganguly had a piece of advice for MS Dhoni and his men. ‘He (Dhoni) has been to South Africa before and he knows how tough it is. It is not going to be just a one-day combination as Test matches are a different ball game. South Africa have got a great attack, they are a very good side at home. India have to play really really well.
‘India have been a good touring team in the past 10-11 years apart from the hiccups in England and Australia.
So, I can suggest that play positive and realise that it is a hard tour. It will be a tour that will challenge a lot of players and you have to raise your game,’ Ganguly told a teelevision channel.
Ganguly also did not rule out the possibility of currently out-of-favour players like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh making a comeback to the team.
‘Yuvraj Singh has been India’s great ODI player and Virender Sehwag is probably the best opening batsman I have seen after Sunil Gavaskar. Their records speak about their abilities. You can’t write them off.
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