Indian coach John Wright, captain Sourav Ganguly, Man of the match Anil Kumble and Zimbabwean captain Stuart Carlisle spoke to the press after India’s comprehensive innings and 101 runs win in the first Test at Nagpur

Staff Reporter25-Feb-2002Indian coach John Wright, captain Sourav Ganguly, Man of the match Anil Kumble and Zimbabwean captain Stuart Carlisle spoke to the press after India’s comprehensive innings and 101 runs win in the first Test at Nagpur.Deep Dasgupta’s continued poor showing behind the stumps has been a matter of concern in recent times. Speaking about the Indian wicket-keeper, Wright said, “He has to perform better. It is understandable that it is not easy to keep wickets like these which turn to this extent. But we have to perform better at the end of the day, he (Deep) has to take the chances.”A `keeper has a very important role when he is in a side which has quality spin bowlers. He has improved himself while standing behind, but standing up he has to improve drastically. He will be getting another chance and should work hard at doing better.”I don’t want to go into the selection matters, but at the end of the day, I would tell you, you should have your best `keeper in the side.”Fielding was one area in which the Zimbabweans proved to be better than the Indians and this did not escape the keen eyes of Wright.”As far as fielding is concerned, we have a long way to go. I’m very much impressed with the way Zimbabweans fielded and if we have to play overseas and against quality teams then I’m sorry to say, we have a long way to go. At the end of the day I would like to say that some of our best players are our worst fielders, that’s a fact,” the straight-talking Indian coach said.”I don’t know how I could change that. Basically, they need to field a lot better but sometimes people are at this part of their career that it is difficult to teach someone who has played for ten long years, how to dive,” he added.Wright also lauded Sanjay Bangar, who made a Test hundred in just his second Test at about the same time that another No. 7, Australia’s Adam Gilchrist, made the fastest double-hundred in Test history. “It is a nice thing for a team for the number seven batsman to come out and score a hundred.”Bangar might have succeeded in the most glorious fashion but VVS Laxman’s failure meant that a number of people were calling for the Hyderabadi stylist’s head. The former New Zealand captain was rousing in his defence of the star of India’s famous Test series win over Australia.”He is too good a player and there is no question about his ability. If you look at his last fifteen matches, he has an average of 43-44 but you have to look at his statistics. That delivery to which he got out in the first innings was very good. I have no doubts about his potential,” Wright said.Ganguly, for his part, agreed with his coach’s views, saying, “John has said it all, so I don’t have to go on saying something on the same topic.”Talking about the competition between Bangar and Sehwag, the skipper said, “Well, it is for the selection committee to decide. However, with Bangar serving us as an all-rounder, it will always be of great help.”Kumble, meanwhile, was happy with the way in which he and his colleagues bowled. “I think we did really well in the first innings. The second innings just happened to us. We had 280 odd runs to defend. I have always said that if the batsmen perform well, it makes our job that much easier.”It is good to bowl with Harbhajan in tandem. Like partnerships help a lot in batting, it is also the same for bowling. With Harbhajan and myself bowling from two ends, the task was much easier. bowled really well, though going wicketless. However, he got his rewards on the last day, scalping four wickets.”Carlisle, though, had no reasons to be as effusive as Kumble. His team’s batting failed twice on a batting paradise and that saw the Zimbabweans being thrashed. “Our batsmen have to get bigger scores. The Flower brothers have been struggling. They have to work hard and come back to their own selves.”The Zimbabwean captain was liberal in his praise for his left-arm spinner Raymond Price; the latter, if you remember, claimed 5 for 182 in India’s only innings.”I am very happy for Price. Streak bowled well too and full marks to (Trevor) Gripper in the second innings. Price is young and inexperienced but he did well. He should be getting to learn more and improve during the rest of the series. That’s one of the positives of this Test.”