17 April 2005	Sunday	07 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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NEW DELHI, April 16: New Zealand’s John Wright will end his 4-1/2 year reign as India’s first foreign coach on Sunday after the six-match one-day series versus Pakistan.

The former Kiwi captain, respected for his low profile in a cricket-mad nation and for his toughness within the dressing room, plans to return home to spend more time with his family.

Stand-in captain Rahul Dravid said the players have planned a nice farewell after the series.

The team would work extra hard to win and square the series 3-3, he said on Saturday.

“There is always a motivation to win,” he said. “It has been an eventful journey for John. He has had his ups and downs but at the end of the day he probably had a few more ups than downs.

“We within the team will honour him in our own special and private way.”

Wright, 50, had not been the favourite for the job when he was appointed in 2000, but is seen as an unlikely success story.

He demanded more passion from his talented but inconsistent players and laid extra stress on fitness.

Wright guided India to their maiden Test series victory in Pakistan in 2004, their first away victory against a major team since 1993.

India also drew their Test series 1-1 in Australia in 2003-04 following their second World Cup final appearance in South Africa.

Wright is credited with taking one momentous decision which sparked a India’s sensational comeback home Test series victory over champions Australia in 2001.

He promoted the wristy Vangipurappu Laxman to number three in the second Test in Kolkata and the batsman responded with India’s then highest Test score, 281, turning an almost certain defeat into only the third victory in Test history by a team asked to follow on.

Wright, who played 82 Tests, scoring 5,334 runs at 37.82 with 12 centuries as opening batsman, turned down the Indian board’s request to stay on until the 2007 World Cup.

“We have valued his contribution to the team in helping us grow and develop as a unit, in helping us play good, exciting cricket all over the world,” Dravid said.

“John will be missed not only as a coach but as a friend and an elder person.

“More than a time to be sad, maybe tomorrow it gives us a chance to thank him for that.”—Reuters