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Just another game: Kirsten

Principal Correspondent

Kirsten says India will not take
Sri Lanka lightly
Jayawardene banking on big runs

Karachi: Team India coach Gary Kirsten has said that the STAR Asia Cup final would be treated as just another game and the players would not be subjected to needless pressure.

“We will treat it as a game. This is one day cricket and you might get a guy playing an unbelievable innings and it might happen to be the final and it might cost you the game. We are prepared and we are trying to ensure that we get the process right which in turn will give us good results,” Kirsten said.

“We will not take them lightly. It is a team with lots of experience and among the bowlers, they have players like Vaas and Muralitharan and the new spinner Ajantha Mendis, against whom we do have some plans,” Kirsten said.

Best batting track

Kirsten blamed the pitch for India’s bowling woes. “Its been a bit of a struggle for both the seamers as well as the spinners. I think this Karachi wicket is the best batting track anywhere in the World. 300 runs are being scored with ease and also being chased well,” the coach said. Kirsten stressed that the team’s selection options were fluid and added that playing an extra bowler like the team did against Sri Lanka, is one of those options. “We will take a call on the team tomorrow and we have many options. We will look to bat first but then it depends on the toss. In these situations you got to weigh your options ahead before you take the call and one you do you got to run with your decision. The perfect scenario often happens in retrospect, there is no point in (regretting it later) once the decision is made,” Kirsten said.

The coach also apologised to the media for being late to the pre-match press conference. “The fault is mine, I went to the wrong place and when I came up I was not sure that there was this extra level — third floor. My apologies,” Kirsten said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene said his team was banking on big runs and the resultant pressure on the Indians.

“The plan if we win the toss is to bat first, score well and then put the pressure on the opposition. The pitches here are all the same with runs in them. Ours is a full strength team and all players are available for selection,” Jayawardene said, and added that spinner Ajantha Mendis is a big match player.

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