Ganguly targets new dawn for India in ODI finals

HARARE—India Captain Saurav Ganguly has told his players to put behind them their poor record in recent one-day international finals when they face New Zealand at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday. India are determined to end a sequence of 15 defeats in their last 20 finals, dating back to March 1999, with title honours at stake in a one-day international triangular series also involving hosts Zimbabwe. “Our record in finals is an issue we’re trying to forget about and tomorrow is a new start,” Ganguly told reporters on Monday. “We have suffered in the past because we have worried about finals so much. “But the guys must just go out and play tomorrow like any other game. We’ve been playing well, we must do nothing different”.
India and New Zealand qualified for the triangular series final after each won three matches out of four in the round-robin stage. Zimbabwe lost four out of four. Ganguly accepts the importance of his own return to batting form in Tuesday’s final, along with that of fellow opener Virender Sehwag. “I am due to score some runs because I have not done much on this tour,” he said. “I hope the odds will turn, but I have been ready for my luck to change for some time. I’m hitting the ball well, but at the end of the day it’s what the scoreboard says that matters. “It’s not easy at the top because the it’s seaming around and you’re up against the new ball, but me and Sehwag just have to fire at the top. We both need time at the wicket and we need to settle down against the hard ball”. Ganguly said there would be no change to his side’s batting order.
“The guys in the middle order have shown good form in their positions and moving them would just create more problems,” he said. India beat New Zealand by six wickets when the sides last met on Friday, overhauling 278 to win, but lost their series opener to New Zealand by 51 runs in Bulawayo.
Fast bowler Shane Bond took six for 19 as India plummeted to 44 for eight, but was rested for last week’s game in Harare. “Shane Bond has gone through their top order and I know I’d be pretty anxious about facing him if I were the Indian top-order tomorrow,” New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said on Monday.
“We’ll try to play on that little lack of confidence at the top of their batting order and Shane will be a threat even on a flat pitch because he’s fast and he swings the ball”. Fleming had some concern, though, that India’s top order were due for a return to form. “It’s a dangerous thing to say they’re lacking confidence with such quality players at the top of the order. They’re very naturally talented, so we’ll need early wickets”. The New Zealand captain confirmed all rounder Chris Cairns, who has a hamstring injury, would not play in the final. India, however, will be at full strength.—Agencies