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Rediff.com  » News » Wounded India seek change of fortune in Zimbabwe

Wounded India seek change of fortune in Zimbabwe

February 16, 2003 22:41 IST
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A wounded Indian squad limped into Harare on Sunday more concerned about the state of their World Cup campaign than their personal safety.

India play Zimbabwe in Harare on Wednesday, a fixture that has gained importance for Sourav Ganguly's side following their nine-wicket thrashing by Australia on Saturday.

"We disappointed ourselves and a lot of people at home," vice captain Rahul Dravid told reporters, referring to India's paltry total of 125 against Australia. "We expect criticism when we play like that."

India were easy winners over the Netherlands in their opening match before crashing to the world champion Australians.

Teams need to win at least four of their six first round matches to be certain of qualifying for the Super Sixes, and while India should beat Namibia they will find the going tougher against England and Pakistan.

"All is not lost, there is a lot of cricket to be played and the test is to be able to lift yourself on the night," Dravid said.

Dravid admitted the team do not know why their much-vaunted batsmen are struggling to find their form.

"If we knew what was going wrong we would correct it," Dravid said.

"There is a lot of quality in the side, and it's not that we've suddenly become bad batsmen.

"Sometimes there's no perfect, clear-cut answer to these things. A good knock or a good net can turn it around.

"Sometimes it just boils down to working hard, but just being disappointed will not solve the problem."

Unlike England, who refused to play their February 13 fixture in Harare because of security concerns, India have no qualms about travelling to Zimbabwe.

"We're very glad to be here and we're looking forward to playing a good cricket match," Dravid said.

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