Greg Chappell said on Saturday he felt no extra pressure at facing Australia for the first time since taking over as India coach more than a year ago.
CHENNAI: Greg Chappell said on Saturday he felt no extra pressure at facing Australia for the first time since taking over as India coach more than a year ago. India meet world champions Australia and West Indies in a three-way one-day series in Malaysia from Tuesday.
"I am not overly concerned about Australia," the Australian great said after a practice match in the southern Indian city of Chennai.
"I will focus on what we need to do and plan accordingly. I am only concerned about how we play and win," he added.
The Indian team leave for Kuala Lumpur later on Saturday and play West Indies in their opening match next Thursday.
Chappell's name has been mentioned among the possible candidates to succeed Australia coach John Buchanan. Former Test captain Mark Taylor will lead a five-man committee to recommend the next Australian coach.
Chappell, however, brushed aside the talk as premature.
"The question arises only after my contract expires, which is after the World Cup.
"A lot of teams are looking for change of coach. Right now I would term it as purely a media speculation."
Sachin Tendulkar scored 101 off 83 balls in the practice match to reassure his fans that he had recovered completely from a shoulder surgery.
"Sachin was looking very good," Chappell said. "We have no concerns about him at all."
India captain Rahul Dravid told a news conference that batsman Yuvraj Singh would join the team directly in Kuala Lumpur. The left-hander from Punjab has had a viral fever that forced him to miss both practice matches.
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