West Indies captain Brian Lara (right) shakes hands with former India skipper Saurav Ganguly after a news conference in Montego Bay earlier this week. The teams renew their rivalry tomorrow in a warm-up game at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium. - reuters Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
CATHERINE HALL, Trelawny:
IN WHAT has become a familiar trend of thought over the past year, the West Indies will be playing a mind game of sorts when they challenge recently-established arch-rivals India in their ICC WI CWC 2007 warm-up contest tomorrow at the multi-purpose facility in Trelawny.
Yet again, the regional team, seeking to win the World Cup for the third time, is batting for psychological advantage ahead of an impending Super Eight clash with the Indians. The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the Super Eight series and only the teams that played each other in the first round will not face-off.
It would take a massive upset for neither country to qualify for the Super Eights and both, given their rivalry over the past 10 months, have had almost an even say in their cricketing matters.
Bigger talk
The West Indies now have the bigger talk with seven victories in their past 12 meetings. But for nine of the matches, and another the Windies won with five overs to spare, the margin of victory has not surpassed 20 runs.
"India, the match on Friday, is a team that if everything goes well we're going to meet in the second round so if we can produce a win here on Friday, I think it gives the guys the psychological advantage back after our disappointing tour of India," West Indies skipper Brian Lara told the media.
The West Indies lost a four-match one-day international series 3-1 in India in January, but had beaten them 4-1 in the Caribbean in May last year and in their only meeting in the ICC Champions Trophy. They also drew 1-1 in Malaysia last September. It adds to Lara's reasoning on their intent for success in tomorrow's match.
Intensity to win
"None of the teams want to lose tomorrow, so we're going to play with the intensity to win, but at the end of the day we want to come out with 15 players still fully fit and looking forward to the tournament," he said.
India's skipper, Rahul Dravid, downplayed the significance of a victory but even amidst that, he clearly stated they'd be gunning for the win.
"I don't know how much we can read into a game of 13 players playing each other," Dravid told journalists of the relaxed warm-up conditions that make allowances for 13 players, even though only 11 can bat.
"I think India and the West Indies, we've played each other a lot over the past year and, like I said earlier, it's a warm-up game," Dravid said. "Both teams would like to win to get the show on the road but also I think it's an opportunity for some of our players who haven't much of a hit to get a chance to bat and give them a chance to get into the swing of things for the group stages of the tournament," he said.
"I'm sure the West Indies will be looking to do that as well. The West Indies are a very good team and we'll have to play very well to win. We've played some good, close games against them, I think in five close games they had the better of us in the West Indies, we've had the better of them in India, so I think we're evenly matched up. We believe we've players, the bowlers to do well against them," Dravid noted. Just about all the players know each other well, their strengths and weaknesses. But also, there are the virtually unknowns for whom the match takes on a different perspective, like teenager Kieron Pollard, a surprise pick whose only previous experience before Monday's two-over swing against Kenya was limited to the regional first-class competition.
Important game
"The game on Friday is important and even though it's a practice game we still need to get everyone out there," explained Lara. "Everyone's trying to get some form, the likes of Kieron Pollard who is now playing against international opposition for the first time, it's important for him to get these games under his belt." And the skipper also believes there was not space in the team for a specialist spinner.
Commenting on that issue in lieu of concerns raised during a press briefing that the pitches are newly-laid and expect to be slow in nature, the home team skipper says the squad selected is the best.
"I think, first of all, the best team was selected. We're relying a lot on the strength of our batting and it's not just that; you don't have a recognised spinner.
"If there's no one to pick you've got to go with what you have and I think it's the best 15.
"We've guys who can come in if we have injuries to anyone but we're going to concentrate on the positives and work with what we have."
Reflecting on the Kenya game, he pointed to positives and negatives alike and noted some inescapable thoughts on the India warm-up.
"I think I'm quite happy with the batting. In the bowling the intensity was not there. I think it's going to pick up on Friday. We're playing a better team, a team that a result would have some sort of psychological advantage so we would like to have a win in that game."
