It'll be a cracker of a Test series, says India coach by AFP

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Event:

India in Pakistan 2005/06

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DateLine: 5th January 2006

 

India coach Greg Chappell said Thursday his team is looking forward to Pakistan's challenge in the upcoming Test series, which he described as the "biggest in world cricket".

 

"The Ashes (Test series between England and Australia) is there from a very long time, but going by the enthusiasm and interest I think an India-Pakistan series is the biggest in world cricket," Chappell told reporters.

 

India, led by Rahul Dravid, leave for the seven-week tour later on Thursday to play three Tests and five one-day internationals, their second tour of Pakistan in as many years.

 

"It's the marquee series of the sub-continent and promises to be exciting as both teams are in good form," said Chappell, a former Australia Test captain.

 

"The Pakistan team is playing with confidence and on the way up. We have had a few good results of late and hope to continue in the same vein."

 

Both teams enjoyed successes at home recently, with Pakistan taming Ashes-winning England and India meting out the same treatment to Sri Lanka.

 

Chappell said India would continue their policy of trying out different players in different roles.

 

"We have tried to build some flexibility into our side to cover certain eventualities and hope to implement some of those strategies in the next few weeks," he said.

 

Dravid conceded he had never thought he would lead India in such a big series, his first overseas as full-fledged captain.

 

"A tour to Pakistan is special," he said.

 

"I did not think I would captain India when I made my Test debeut in 1996. All I thought of was to establish myself as a batsman. After some years I got the vice-captaincy and then the captaincy."

 

Dravid said he did not believe that captaincy would affect his batting, saying his aim had always been to deliver as a batsman in different conditions.

 

"I have always thought it was important to play well abroad in different conditions and I think I will aim for the same this time," he said.

 

When asked whether India would target in-form Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, Dravid said his team must look at the opposition as a team rather than as individuals.

 

"Any bowler who is doing well is an asset to the team and one cannot target one or two players," he said. "Anyone in form is going to add value to your side and we need to look at them as a team rather than as individuals."

 

India won both the Test and one-day series on their previous tour of Pakistan in 2004. The following year, Pakistan drew a three-Test series 1-1 in India before winning the one-dayers 4-2.

 

Indian squad: Rahul Dravid (capt), Virender Sehwag (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Wasim Jaffer, Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatsai Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Sourav Ganguly, Mahendra Dhoni, Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Rudra Pratap Singh, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh.

 

Manager: Raj Singh Dungarpur. Coach: Greg Chappell

 

Itinerary:

 

Jan 7-9 - Three-day tour match, Lahore
Jan 13-17 - First Test, Lahore
Jan 21-25 - Second Test, Faisalabad
Jan 29-Feb 2 - Third Test, Karachi
Feb 6 - First one-dayer, Peshawar
Feb 11 - Second one-dayer, Rawalpindi
Feb 13 - Third one-dayer, Lahore
Feb 16 - Fourth one-dayer, Multan
Feb 19 - Fifth one-dayer, Karachi

(Article: Copyright © 2006 AFP)