November 12 Tuesday 2002
'Indian bowlers showing effects of cricket overdose'

RAJKOT: India's bowlers were showing the effects of a cricket overdose, captain Sourav Ganguly said Monday ahead of the third of seven limited-overs internationals against the West Indies. 

"Our bowlers are not doing a good job right now and they're aware of it,'' Ganguly said. The Indians have had had last-over defeats in the first two matches. 

"They've been off-color and, as a result, we've not successfully defended our scores in the current series,'' he said. "These bowlers have done commendable work over the past year, but perhaps they've got tired after playing too much cricket.'' 

India's back-to-back scheduling of international tours means its national team will be on the road for one year before going into the World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya in February-March next year. 

Critics have expressed concern that the packed schedule will contribute to players breaking down or becoming mentally exhausted ahead of the quadrennial World Cup.

Two leading Indian players, star batsman Sachin Tendulkar and left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan, have been sidelined from the current one-day series with injuries.

Ganguly said two months ago he realized the risk of wearing down the seam bowlers before the World Cup, but he possessed few bowling options to rotate them. "These bowlers are all physically fit, but playing too much cricket can leave you exhausted,'' said Ganguly, who led India to a test-series win against the Windies last month.

India is confronted with a must-win position after the Windies surged to a 2-0 lead in the one-dayers. The Windies clinched the series opener by six wickets with a last-ball boundary and the second encounter by seven wickets with four balls to spare.

"It's an important match. If we have to win the series, we've got to start winning here,'' said Ganguly. Seeking to break the jinx in the current series, Indian selectors were considering breaking the spinning partnership of Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble, who spun the hosts to a 2-0 triumph in the three-test series. 

Ganguly said the pitch had a fair covering of grass and the Indian team was likely to include three seam bowlers and an all-rounder, indicating that one of the spinners will have to sit out of Tuesday's match.

Heavy rain showers Monday morning denied the teams valuable practice. The Windies, who arrived at the venue soon after it stopped raining, waited for one hour but the ground staff did not allow them to jog around on a wet surface. Granting the permission, the local cricket officials said, would have ruined the outfield for Tuesday's match. The Windies team then opted for an indoor physical conditioning session at a nearby gymnasium, while India delayed its training session until late afternoon. India managed to have a workout when the outfield had dried.

"We're a bit disappointed not to have a full-scale practice on the eve of the match,'' said Windies coach Roger Harper.