Trouble on the streets..
Charlie Austin19-Jul-2001Trouble on the streets…Preparations for the second game of the Coca Cola Cup in Sri Lankabetween India and New Zealand have been disrupted by violentdemonstrations on the streets of Colombo against the Sri Lankangovernment.Opposition supporters converged on the capital throughout the morning,eventually sparking clashes with the police. The situation in the cityremains tense and all the teams have been forced to return the safetyof their hotel.India were due to practice tonight under lights at the PremadasaInternational Stadium, but hastily organised a morning practice at theSinhalese Sports Club last night, when it became clear thatdisruptions were possible.Even so they were forced to curtail the practice early on the adviceof the omnipresent security guards. They have a fielding practiceunder lights scheduled for 6pm, but that will probably be cancelled.Sourav Ganguly, the Indian captain, spoke with the experience of a manwho has seen similar in the rollicking stands of Eden Gardens: “Wehave come here five times and it has always been the same. I don’tthink it is going to affect the game or the cricketers and I am notworried about it.”The Kiwis too were forced to cut short practice. In fact, New Zealandtours to Sri Lanka have a history of trouble. In 1992 five players,including the coach, returned home after a shooting incident outsidethe team hotel. In 1987 a bomb exploded in the crowded Pettah busstation during the first Test.The level of the violence seen today was a concern, but a return tonormalcy can be expected tomorrow. In fact the existence of tensionduring the game will be conspicuous only by it’s absence. Yesterday’sgame attracted a very poor crowd for a day-night game and without theparticipation of the home side the tourists will be playing in frontof empty concrete terraces.The lack of intensity could well bring the best out of this youngIndian side, who are developing a reputation for losing the highprofile encounters and being a little soft skinned.Ganguly acknowledged that there was a problem: “We have just notplayed well in the finals. We are trying to find a solution. I thinkit is a matter of holding our nerve under pressure situations.”A lack of experience plays a part,” he believes. “We have a got avery young side with only Rahul and I having played over 100 games.The others have played under 30.”We do though have some very good and talented players and, apartfrom the finals, we are playing really well, winning about 75 per centof our games in the last ten months,” he said.The high level of expectations back home clearly represents a burdenupon the shoulders of some Indian players. According to John Wright,the national coach, the expectations doesn’t permit the luxury of along-term view.”To be quite honest everyone in our camp and everyone in India wantsto win every game, so we take it one game at the time,” he said. “Weare not looking to far ahead – tomorrow will do!”We will win some and lose some, but if the nation see that theircricketers are playing the game with a lot of pride and fight, thathopefully will repay the support we get,” he said.He wants to the players to focus on the basics: “You can analyse thegame and have all kinds of technology, but you always come back totrying to consistently performing the basics under pressure. We have alot of flair and ability, so if we can do those basic things thatmakes us more formidable.”India have narrowed selection for tomorrow down to 13 players. AjitAgarkar suffered from sunstroke after yesterday’s practice game andDebashis Mohanty is the other player to be left out.Ganguly revealed that the management remain undecided as to whetherthe 29-year-old Amay Khurasiya or Yuvraj Singh, ten years his younger,would be his opening partner. Either way, the first 15 overs promiserich entertainment.The pitch will be the same one that was used in the first game. Thatbeing the case the spinners clearly have a very important role to playand New Zealand’s batsmen will quickly have to develop new scoringstrategies.The Sri Lankans bowled 33 overs of spin against the Kiwis and theystruggled to lift the run rate above a trickle. Stephen Flemingacknowledged afterwards that this was a problem for the side.”We don’t get the opportunity to practice much against the spinnersat home as we tend to play on green tracks,” he said, before adding:”We have a lot of work to do on this turning pitches.”New Zealand have the option of recalling Dion Nash in this game,possibly in place of Darryl Tuffey, which would strengthen thebatting.