India enters second one-day with confidence

15 Mar, 2004

Indian coach John Wright said Sunday he was delighted by his team's exciting five-run win against Pakistan in the first one-day match in Karachi but wanted his bowlers to improve.
"It was an exciting show of batting and it provided us the right mixture of delight and relief," Wright told reporters ahead of the second match at Pindi Stadium on Tuesday.
India enters the day-night fixture relaxed and with more confidence after spending three hectic days of travelling but Wright still feels the bowling wrongs need to be rectified.
"Despite the win our bowling performance need to be looked at. The first 15 overs were good but our bowlers need to do better in the middle and in the end," said Wright, referring to the two outings in the warm-up match and the first one-day international.
India failed to defend a target of 336 against Pakistan's second string team in a warm-up match at Lahore on Thursday while in Karachi on Saturday Ashish Nehra's last over saved their blushes when Pakistan appeared set to chase a mammoth 350.
"In Australia the first 15 overs were trouble and here the middle overs and the final overs are a worry but Nehra bowled an exceptional last over," said Wright, who played 82 Tests and 149 one-day matches for New Zealand before turning a full time coach.
About the intensity of an India-Pakistan match, Wright, 49, said: "Players are probably the best judge of passion, attitude should be to calm and the passion should be well directed and pressure handle with calmness which Nehra did in the end."
The Indian coach hoped star middle order batsman Venkatsai Laxman would regain fitness after missing the first match due to a stiff neck.
"It (stiff neck) is not troubling him while batting but he is having problem while fielding but we anticipate Laxman will be fit," he said.
Wright was not surprised at Pakistan's decision of sending India in at Karachi.
"We would have batted anyone and it was Inzamam-ul Haq's decision and he nearly got the result he wanted."

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