Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is confident that India will defend the Cricket World Cup title next year Down Under. Known for his astute judgement and reading of the game, Ganguly said that India, under captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, is still a team to beat in the One-Day format.
“India have got a good chance of defending the World Cup. They are a very good One-Day International (ODI) side wherever they play. Whether it is Australia or England, they are a top one-day side,” the 42-year-old told IANS in an interview.
He also reasoned that India’s poor form in Test matches abroad will not hamper the chances in World Cup. He said, “Test matches overseas are an issue, but I am not really too worried about ODI performances and I think they will do well in Australia and New Zealand.”
The defending champions will start their World Cup preparations in right earnest. Dhoni & Co. will start their Australia tour in late November this year, some two months before the start of the quadrennial tournament, which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand in February-March 2015.
Talking about the possible effects of a long tour which includes a four-Tests series and ODI tri-series involving England, before the tournament, Ganguly said it will only helped players accustom to the environment rather than exhaustion.
“The players will get accustomed, but I don’t think they will get tired. They should not be thinking about this at all whether they are getting tired or not. The team will get a two-week break after the tri-series. They will come back to India and then go for the World Cup. A two-week break is enough these days,” he opined.
