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| November 28, 2005 | Monday | Shawwal 25, 1426 |
Proteas hoping to benefit from Ganguly row
MUMBAI, Nov 27: South Africa hope the added pressure on India over the omission of sacked captain Saurav Ganguly will help them win the fifth and final One-day International on Monday.
The tourists are 2-1 up after their 10-wicket rout in Saturday’s match in Kolkata and are aiming to clinch their maiden one-day series victory in India.
“We didn’t know the sort of pressure they are under, I mean the support we got at Eden Gardens was unbelievable,” wicket-keeper Mark Boucher said on Sunday. “We do understand it was because of the whole Ganguly thing.”
The Indian players were booed and the South Africans cheered by the Kolkata spectators upset over the absence of local boy Ganguly, who was sacked as captain last month following poor batting form and a major row with coach Greg Chappell.
“We have put India under pressure and the whole Ganguly thing has shown its head again,” Boucher said.
“If we can try and use that to our advantage, then trust me we are going to use that, because we know what it is like when it is done to us.
“We have a lot of momentum going. We’ve never won a one-day series here as everyone knows and the guys are really up for a big, big challenge tomorrow.”
India will be relying on premier batsman Sachin Tendulkar to regain his touch after managing only 77 runs in his last seven innings.
Tendulkar made a record 357th one-day appearance in Kolkata, but was out for two against fast bowler Shaun Pollock, who has dismissed him in all three games. The third match of the series was washed out.
The Mumbai batsman will be playing before his adoring home fans at the Wankhede Stadium.
“I’m pretty happy with where he is at and the way he has come back from the injury,” Chappell told reporters.
Tendulkar, 32, sidelined for six months due to elbow surgery made a fine comeback in the 6-1 one-day series victory over Sri Lanka last month, scoring 93 and 67 not out in the first two games.—Reuters
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