India vow to turn form around on SA tour

JOHANNESBURG – India coach Greg Chappell backed his team to banish the demons of their recent poor form Tuesday by using the tour of South Africa as a launch pad for its challenge in next year’s World Cup.

India’s traditionally poor away form has spread to its own shores and skipper Raul Dravid’s men were embarrassingly eliminated in the league phase of the recent Champions Trophy despite enjoying home advantage. Former Australia star Chappell said the South Africa tour, which will feature five one-day internationals and three Tests, was an ideal opportunity to tune up for the World Cup in the West Indies early next year.”They (the Tests and ODIs) are equally important to us, and we want to do well in both, but at the moment we are focusing on the ODIs,” Chappell told reporters after the team arrived at Johannesburg airport.”Like all other countries, we have next year’s World Cup in mind, and the team we are fielding here is very close to our World Cup squad.”Dravid also backed India to turn around their dismal recent form which has seen them lose eight of their last 12 one-day internationals.Their record in South Africa is equally unimpressive, having won just three of their 16 one-dayers since 1992.”We’ve had successes in South Africa before.We reached the final of the World Cup here in 2003, and a number of our batsmen have scored some very good centuries here,” he was quoted as saying by the Sapa news agency.The five one-dayers will be played in Johannesburg (November 19), Durban (November 22), Cape Town (November 26), Port Elizabeth (November 29) and Centurion (December 3).The three Tests will be played in Johannesburg (December 15-19), Durban (December 26-30) and Cape Town (January 2-6).India’s Test squad will be named in the first week of December.Nampa-AFPFormer Australia star Chappell said the South Africa tour, which will feature five one-day internationals and three Tests, was an ideal opportunity to tune up for the World Cup in the West Indies early next year.”They (the Tests and ODIs) are equally important to us, and we want to do well in both, but at the moment we are focusing on the ODIs,” Chappell told reporters after the team arrived at Johannesburg airport.”Like all other countries, we have next year’s World Cup in mind, and the team we are fielding here is very close to our World Cup squad.”Dravid also backed India to turn around their dismal recent form which has seen them lose eight of their last 12 one-day internationals.Their record in South Africa is equally unimpressive, having won just three of their 16 one-dayers since 1992.”We’ve had successes in South Africa before.We reached the final of the World Cup here in 2003, and a number of our batsmen have scored some very good centuries here,” he was quoted as saying by the Sapa news agency.The five one-dayers will be played in Johannesburg (November 19), Durban (November 22), Cape Town (November 26), Port Elizabeth (November 29) and Centurion (December 3).The three Tests will be played in Johannesburg (December 15-19), Durban (December 26-30) and Cape Town (January 2-6).India’s Test squad will be named in the first week of December.Nampa-AFP