'Vengsarkar wrong in commenting on team'

Chandigarh: India's cricket manager Lalchand Rajput on Sunday said that it was wrong on the part of the Chairman of Selectors Dilip Vengsarkar saying that players not performing could make their way out of the team.

"It was a wrong thing on the selectors' part to say that. We are playing a series here. But we are not focusing on what he had to say. We have a game tomorrow and we are looking forward to it," said the Indian manager ahead of India's fourth One-Dayer against Australia here on Monday.

Lalchand Rajput was at the Sector-16 Stadium with the Indian team for their practice session when opening batsman Gautam Gambhir was seen walking off the ground after he slipped and strained his groin.

"Gambhir slipped while batting and injured his groin. He has been taken for an MRI scan and the team physios are taking care of that," Rajput said.

But he expressed hope that Sourav Ganguly was now fit from his hamstring niggle and should Gambhir not be able to make the team on Monday's game, the Bengal southpaw will take his place.

Rajput also said that India hadn't decided their side for the Monday's game yet. "We are yet to finalise the best possible eleven that will play tomorrow," he said.

"We haven't got off to a good start yet. But the batsmen are working on it and I'm sure they have come good tomorrow."

The Indian manager, who is in his first ODI assignment with the national team after winning the Twenty20 Championship in South Africa earlier, said his team was positive despite going down 0-2 in the series.

He said left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, who joined the Indian team for the Chandigarh and Vadodara ODIs in place of Ramesh Powar, could mark his international return on Monday. "We could play five bowlers tomorrow. There is a possibility that you will see both spinners taking the field tomorrow."

India's bowlers, despite making early inroads in the Australian batting line-up, have gone for plenty of runs in the middle overs. "Yes, it has happened on quite a few occasions. But (bowling coach) Venkatesh Prasad and the bowlers are working hard to get the strategies right."

Rajput also said that despite being 0-2 down in the four-match series, India would come back. "You saw in England too, that we came back to make it 2-2 after losing the first two games. I am positive that we will come back equally strong tomorrow."

Source: cricketnext.com