INDIA: CRICKET - Indian cricket team returns after test defeat in South Africa

Record ID: 1374694

  • Title: INDIA: CRICKET - Indian cricket team returns after test defeat in South Africa
  • Date: 9th January 2007
  • Summary: KOLKATA, INDIA (JANUARY 08, 2007) (ANI) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SAURAV GANGULY, BATSMAN AND FORMER CAPTAIN OF THE INDIAN CRICKET TEAM, SAYING: "Obviously playing in conditions like Australia and South Africa always help your game. If I get an opportunity in one day cricket, I think that will help." VARIOUS GANGULY LEAVING IN A CAR
  • Embargoed: 24th January 2007 12:17
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA4LC2WCD6O27VULOD05OTH2KVM
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: The Indian cricket team on Monday (January 8) returned home after squandering a golden opportunity for a maiden test series win in South Africa.
    After a 4-0 whitewash in the one-day series, India's test campaign began on a positive note with India winning the first one in Johannesburg by 123 runs, its first test victory in South Africa ever.
    But the Proteas won the next two games in the three test series, in Durban and Cape Town, comfortably.
    The defeat was all the more bitter for India after they dominated nearly half of the third test with a solid batting performance and a subsequent lead in the first innings.
    Rahul Dravid's men then threw it away by an insipid second innings batting display, and the bowlers' failure to skittle out the Proteas on a difficult fifth-day track.
    One of the few bright spots for India was the emergence of rookie pacer Shantakumaran Sreesanth as a match-winning bowler. Sreesanth took 18 wickets in the test series.
    Batting undid Team India, with opener Virender Sehwag failing repeatedly and gathering just 89 in six innings.
    Former captain Saurav Ganguly returned to the team and was the most successful batsman with 214 runs at an average of 42, figures that have propelled him into reckoning for the one day side.
    "Obviously playing in conditions like Australia and South Africa always help your game. If I get an opportunity in one day cricket, I think that will help," Ganguly told reporters on his return to hometown Kolkata.
    Ganguly was sacked almost a year and a half ago after a string of low scores and a row with Coach Greg Chappell.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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