Lankan tour 'disappointing': Ganguly

Describing the series loss against Sri Lanka as 'disappointing', Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly Monday said the team performed 'only in patches' and needed to take 'corrective steps' to ensure a better result on the forthcoming tour to South Africa.

"It is disappointing. We could have done better," Ganguly told reporters at the airport here. The team, which returned after a one and half month tour of Sri Lanka, got a quiet reception and the players quickly dispersed to leave for their respective homes later in the day.

Ganguly refused to blame the absence of some of the key players for the defeat.

"I am not finding ways to give reasons for bad performance. Niggling and frequent injuries to players could be one of the reasons for the non-performance. But they are not the sole reason. We performed only in patches," he said.

"Despite injuries to half a dozen players, we were able to make it to the final of the triangular (one-day) series. In the final Test, Zaheer Khan was injured on the morning of the second day... The only good aspect was that we were able to win a Test match."

Now we have to look forward to the job in hand (Aouth Africa tour) and take corrective steps to get back to winning ways," Ganguly said. "International cricket is tough and the South Africa tour is going to be even tougher."

Ganguly did not feel there was a lack of variety in the Indian bowling attack in Sri Lanka. "There was variety. We did not have a left arm spinner but we had a leg spinner instead," he said.

Coach John Wright agreed with the captain and said batsmen too had failed to put up competitive scores. "When you have quality batsmen in your side and you do not have at least 350 runs on board in Test matches, naturally, there will be some sort of pressure on bowlers," he said.

"A team needs to score at least 350 in the first innings to win Test matches," Wright stressed.

About Harbhajan Singh, who could manage just four wickets in the Test series at an average of 73.00, the coach said the bowler was still in the learning process. "You cannot compare him with Muthiah Muralitharan, who is a wrist spinner. Harbhajan is a spinner in real terms but he requires some more time to peak and maintain consistency," he said.

To a question whether team was still in an experimental stage, with over 35 players having been tested during the last nine months, wright said, "you need to groom youngsters. There are talented players and have potential but it takes some time for some to prove themselves and be consistent."

Wright admitted that the fitness of players was an area of concern and pointed out that Sri Lankan cricketers were far more fitter than the Indians. "The Sri Lankan players were under a fitness programme for the last five years and more. All of them were cent per cent fit," he said.

Ganguly refused to comment on the standard of umpiring and on the few decisions that went against India. "It is part of the game. Such things always happen and we willl not complain about them," he said.

Asked whether he would take four pace bowlers to South Africa, Ganguly said, "the pitches there are pacy and I would discuss such aspects with the selectors when the team is picked on September 7 in Mumbai." He said the national selectors had always given him the team he had asked for.

Though he did not confirm that he would be leading the side to South Africa, Ganguly's comment that he would 'discuss with the selectors' could mean that he will be retained as the skipper.

In South Africa, India will participate in a triangular one-day series with Kenya as the third team from October 5 to 27. India would then play three Test matches against South Africa at Bloemfontein (November 3-7), Port Elizabeth (November 16-20) and Centurion Park (November 24-28).

Mail Cricket Editor