India 'must be aggressive' - John Wright

[manoj_admlab]

Richard Earle November 30, 2007 12:00am FORMER New Zealand opener John Wright predicts fortune will favour the brave as India looks to topple Australia this summer. Respected ex-India coach Wright has implored India to be aggressive, bat first when possible and pick next-generation stars such as Yuvraj Singh as it bids to humble Australia on home soil. Wright, who has succeeded Ric Charlesworth as NZ high-performance manager, said Twenty20 World Cup talisman Yuvraj was crucial to India's future success. "If the openers can get through the first hour in games like Aakash Chopra and Virender Sehwag did on the last tour, that will allow the middle-order batsmen to play well," said Wright, the first Kiwi to pass 4000 Test runs. "I hope Yuvraj gets a good look in as he plays well on hard and fast wickets. If you are aiming at succession planning, you have to be looking at getting him involved as soon as you can. "If India's brave enough to bat first, play their two spinners and catch well, it will be a very good series." One of ageing stars Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and V. V. S. Laxman would have to be axed from the side currently leading the Test series 1-0 against Pakistan to include Yuvraj. "There's some who, because age is not on their side, their last performance counts. They are under some pressure," said Wright, India mentor from 2000 to 2005. "Yuvraj wasn't named in the Test side but he was the player of the one-day tournament against Pakistan (272 runs at 68). I hope he gets involved. It is just time. Wright said leg-spinner Anil Kumble and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, sidelined by a finger injury here four years ago, would trouble Australia. "Anil will be a very good Test captain. I am very pleased he has got that job," Wright said. Kumble, 37, tormented Australia with 24 wickets a 29.58 in three Tests in the 2003-04 summer. "There's a situation where you can get a side chasing against quality spin bowlers, 200 can be interesting in the last innings," Wright said. India must put the squeeze on Australia in the four-Test series starting on Boxing Day at the MCG, as it did in 2001 and 2003-04 under Wright. "India has the ability to bat well, get big first-innings runs and put pressure on," Wright said. "Australia will be tough, though, has a good leader and exciting pacemen like Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson coming on." Wright dismissed former Australian coach John Buchanan's claim that Tendulkar was vulnerable to hostile short-pitched bowling early in his innings. "He's getting older but I don't think he minds a few around his ears. He is probably expecting them," Wright said. Wright's message for his struggling New Zealand side is simple: Forget the 2-0 Test defeat in South Africa and come out fighting in next month's Chappell-Hadlee series against Australia. "We have that natural rivalry and purely for cricket and commercial reasons it's important we are competitive in these three games," Wright said.

[Predator_05]

To prepare for the Aussie tour, Indian cricketers should stand in front of a mirror for 30 minutes everyday - rehearsing the "dirty looks" they will be giving to the Aussie cricketers and practicing their "bad ass" look. It shouldn't be a problem for guys like Munaf (who looks like a serial killer) but the rest need to start doing this ASAP

[praveenj]

To prepare for the Aussie tour' date=' Indian cricketers should stand in front of a mirror for 30 minutes everyday - rehearsing the "dirty looks" they will be giving to the Aussie cricketers and practicing their "bad ass" look. It shouldn't be a problem for guys like Munaf (who looks like a serial killer) but the rest need to start doing this ASAP[/quote'] until such a thinking arrives in their minds that they don't want to go to Oz.. :P