India has to play courageous cricket: Ganguly

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Former Indian Captain, Sourav Ganguly on Thursday said the war of words between the two teams will surely make the third Test between India and Australia at the WACA a fascinating contest. “Forget about this Test being an easy win for Australia – everything is set for a ripper of a match. The war of words has already heated up and that always sets the scene for an enthralling encounter,” said Ganguly.

Ganguly, who is here as a commentator, has stated an exciting battle between Zaheer Khan and Ricky Ponting is on the cards. “Both Brad Haddin and Zaheer Khan have been vocal in the media. It has really charged the ambiance. Ricky Ponting has also joined the party and I will be keen to watch the battle between Zaheer and Ponting in the middle. Zaheer will enjoy bowling in these conditions and Ponting will have to play well against the new ball,” Ganguly wrote in his column for an Australian newspaper.

Ganguly has also refused reports of rift in the Indian dressing room. “I think the spoken battle could play into Indian hands. I like the way they have responded. There have been talks of a rift in the team, which to me is not true. Virender Sehwag was quoted saying it was rubbish, and I have seen nothing to suggest there is a problem between the vice-captain and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. It is a common situation touring teams face from the Australian media, especially when they are down in the series. The Indians will not be affected, and it could be a positive thing for them,” he said.

Ganguly has said that the disagreement ahead of the Perth Test must inspire the Indian team as it did in 2008. “The huge furor about Monkey gate in Sydney four years ago really got the Indians going, and we pulled off an extraordinary win at the WACA Ground. The latest controversy has nothing on that, but it could encourage the team on to better things again. The WACA Ground is a great venue. A century here really enhances the reputation of a batsman as a good player of fast bowling,” he said.

Ganguly has told that Perth offers India the best chance to come back in the series. “This is a great opportunity to pull one back, but India will have to overcome the mental evil spirits of losing six overseas Tests in a row. They must clear out the cobwebs, go out there and play fearless cricket.

“India has only played here three times but has a lot of good memories, particularly when beating Australia last time in 2008. That will give them a lot of confidence. The bowling attack, other than Ishant Sharma, has changed quite a bit, but they still have the aptitude to get 20 wickets in these conditions,” Ganguly added.

On the much hyped green deck at the WACA, Ganguly said: “For all of us, the biggest point of discussion has been the wicket. The guardian has made a lot of noise in the last few days about how quick it is going to be. I am not so sure. Even when India turned up in 2008 there were such talks, but it didn’t turn out to be a very quick wicket.”

“The pitch seems well covered with a layer of green grass, and it looks fresh as well. There will be a fair bit of seam association early on, but the pitch will probably get quicker as the match progresses – especially with the forecast for hot weather. It does not look like a huge ground and, with the boundaries short each side of the wicket, it will provide batsmen full value for their shots,” he said.

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