Wright laments on what went wrong

By Our Special Correspondent

COLOMBO, AUG. 6. With the disappointment of yet another stumble in the summit clash writ large over his face, India coach John Wright shared his thoughts with the media, a day after his side suffered a trouncing at the hands of Sri Lanka in the Coca Cola Cup triangular competition.

He first focussed his attention on the below-par bowling and fielding display that enabled the host to reach a mammoth 295. ``We have to do better than that, whatever the track. Any side that posts 295 has a very good chance of winning the final. We bowled on both sides of the wicket, we provided them width, we lacked discipline. And we couldn't take our chances on the field. They (the Lankans) bowled with a lot of discipline.'' Against West Indies in Harare too, it was the same story he observed.

Wright, however, was quick to add, ``having said that we didn't bat particularly well. We needed a good start, we couldn't get that.''

He also said the toss might have played a crucial role in deciding the outcome. ``Had we won the toss, put on 250 or 260 on the board, the story could have been very different.''

Asked whether India's repeated failure to surmount the last hurdle was now becoming a jinx, the coach noted, ``The desire to win the final might actually be putting more pressure on the boys. Everything you do in training, the way you play, you need to do it day in and day out. When you get into the field, it should happen automatically.''

On the brighter side, Wright pointed out that the team fought back well under pressure in the league phase. ``We showed a lot of character and fight.''

He was optimistic too about the future. ``It is a relatively young side. We have to learn fast at this level. How to handle the pressure, show the right attitude. They can do that.''

About his team's conqueror in the final, Wright had this to say. ``It is a formidable side, but by no means unbeatable. We proved that in the league.''

Wright's Lankan counterpart Dav Whatmore stressed on his team's ability to raise its level of play in the final. He said the target while batting was assessed after the first fifteen overs, and added the blazing start meant the Lankans went for a higher score.

He also revealed the decision to withhold the introduction of off-spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan into the attack was a planned one, to put more pressure on the Indians later in the innings.

Indian Test replacements arrive

Opener Shiv Sundar Das, middle-order batsmen Mohammed Kaif and Dinesh Mongia, leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule and seamer Harvinder Singh, who have been selected for the three-Test series, arrived in Colombo on Monday afternoon. They were received by Indian manager Mr. Anant Mate.

Three other players selected for the Tests, pace duo Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad, and opener Sadagopan Ramesh will land here on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, nine players, V.V.S. Laxman, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Ajit Agarkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuveraj Singh, Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Amay Khurasiya and Debasis Mohanty left for home today following the conclusion of the one-day tournament.

However, Zaheer is slated to be back for the Tests, after undergoing tests for a painful shin, in India.

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