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Vivian Richards - 21 November 2002
We are near a desert so the soil here is a little dusty. The ground however is in good condition and the wicket looks pretty similar to the last one plenty of runs for batsmen and plenty of heartbreak for bowlers. The bowlers must take heart from the fact that the all- important World Cup will be played in very different conditions. In fact, I hope the batsmen don't get a false sense of security by seeing 300-plus totals getting overhauled regularly. The hardness of the wickets in South Africa will make run-getting much more difficult, and the true test for all those playing here will be to make the adjustments required to play in those conditions. The beauty of cricket is that it's played in a variety of conditions, and I think the individual who can adjust to all conditions is the true champion. India are without their captain in the next few games, and I think that this could hit them hard. Sourav Ganguly has been in great form and at the helm of things this season, especially during the Tests. Any organisation suffers when the head is absent. We only have to look at how West Indies struggled in Rajkot in the absence of Carl Hooper. It's tough for the guy who comes in to adjust in a short time, and the team looks a little disoriented. It is now up to those who replace Ganguly as captain and opener to motivate themselves by thinking that it is an opportunity for them to prove their worth. Dinesh Mongia played against us in Bangalore in our first warm-up game and scored heavily. We also saw a bit of him in West Indies, where he played pretty well. With the selectors already thinking of World Cup squads, I'm sure he'll grab this opportunity to stake his claim. For the West Indians, the only question mark is over the fitness of Mervyn Dillon. He missed the last game and had his first thorough workout this afternoon. We will take a call on whether or not to play him tomorrow. Both teams will be desperate to win tomorrow. While West Indies have two chances to win the series from hereon, they would definitely not like to leave things till Vijayawada. The Indians of course will have to win both matches and must be very determined to keep their impressive record at home in tact. I have played and seen too much cricket to predict winners. All I'm willing to predict right now is that a wonderful encounter is in store for us. Other Articles by Vivian Richards:
© Gameplan
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The TVS Cup has really been a seesaw battle, which is exactly the way
the pundits would want it. In fact, all those who enjoy good cricket
must want India to win the next game so that everything comes down to
one final match. At the West Indies camp, however, we would like to
put the issue beyond doubt by winning in Jodhpur itself. The Indians
were on a roll when we reached Baroda, and full marks to Carl and his
team for wresting back the momentum to nose ahead to a 3-2 lead.