Brian Lara's West Indies showed a refreshing change in attitude on Thursday to outplay Pakistan while the Indians hardly had any trouble when they cantered past fancied Australia the day before.
The rivals practised side by side yesterday afternoon at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium(DCS).The West Indies came early to the ground and almost immediately went for the nets.The Indians on the otherhand concentrated more on fielding practice.
Both the captains are well aware of each others strengths and are foreseeing a hard contest.
``India are an extremely tough opposition'', said Windies skipper Brian Lara. ``They are used to the conditions in this part of the World,I think India's bowling is well suited for the pitches in Dhaka.
India's captain Mohammed Azharuddin was impressed by the Caribbean showing against Pakistan. ``They did play a very good game.The West Indies are a difficult team.Their unpredictable nature is always a worry to the opposing side,''opined Azhar.
Azhar however seemed a little apprehensive about the weather. ``We all are looking forward to the clash with West Indies,but I hope the weather stays OK.There is a depression,so it may affect the match,'' he said.
About possible changes in the semifinal line-up,Azhar said that it will depend on the elements.
Azhar feels there is a lot of room for betterment in certain areas of his team,specially in the fielding department. ``I think our fielding needs to be sharpened. I also feel we haven't done well while batting in the slog overs.''
Coach Anshuman Gaekwad wants his bowlers to be more penetrative. ``I imagine we can improve in the bowling front'',said the former Test opener.Only paceman Javagal Srinath bowled with fire against the Aussies but the rest,including an experienced campaigner like leg-spinner Anil Kumble,were found wanting on the batsman-friendly wicket.
When asked if the Indians have any plans regarding how to contain a batsman of the calibre of Lara,Gaekwad replied, ``not only Lara,we have to contain all of them.They are all very aggressive.''
One man can single-handedly turn the game in India's favour.The genius of Sachin Tendulkar is in full bloom now and even the West Indies captain is mindful of that. ``A lot will depend on how quickly we can see the back of Sachin.He is batting wonderfully well,''said Lara.
Batting apart,Tendulkar's apparently innocuous bowling could once again prove to be a factor as was the case against Australia.
Azhar himself will be anxious to play a big innings in his 301st one day international appearance after getting a duck in the previous match.Ajay Jadeja will render the flair while the steel will be provided by the sedate Rahul Dravid. Local favourite Saurav Ganguly missed out on Wednesday, but the southpaw from Bengal is talented enough to deliver the goods when it really matters.
West Indies came out on top in all aspects against Pakistan and Lara wants no let-off. ``We still need to get things in order in certain departments,and if we do that I think we have what it takes to beat India.''
West Indies are more than likely to stick to the winning combination.
In the absence of stalwarts like Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh,the young fast bowlers Nixon McLean and Marvyn Dillon bowled with purpose and aggression. It was an
exhilarating experience to watch the duo bowl in tandem and they need to give more evidence of their obvious talent against the wristy stroke-play of the Indians.
The spinners also did Lara proud. ``I am particularly delighted with the way Keith(Arthurton),Raul(Lewis) and Carl(Hooper) bowled.Spin is very important here because the pitches are flat and tends to take spin as the match wears on.''
In batting,Philo Wallace is a revelation as a drestuctive opener.Lara and Hooper,both contributed little to the team's cause but the fact that the West Indies still scored a mammoth 289 in 50 overs,bears testimony to the new found responsibility among the other batsmen.
The West Indies tail batted freely in the closing overs,another sign that manager Clive Lloyd and coach Malcolm Marshall are instilling the confidence that was badly missing a few months ago.
The Indians have played the West Indies in 54 limited overs internationals.The Caribbeans came out superior in 36 of those occasions while the Indians have 19 wins to their credit.The other match ended in a tie.
Teams
West Indies (from): Stuart Williams, Philo Wallace, Shivnarin Chanderpaul, Brian Lara(Captain), Carl Hooper, Keith Arthurton, Phil Simmons, Ridley Jacobs, Nixon McLean, Raul Lewis, Marvyn Dillon, Clayton Lambert, Reon King, Neil Mcgarrel.
India (from): Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Mohammed Azharuddin(Captain), Rahul Dravid, Ajay Jadeja, VVS Laxman, Robin Singh, Sunil Joshi, Nayan Mongia, Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Nikhil Chopra.