Indian captain Anil Kumble on Thursday said the retirement of Inzamam-ul-Haq has left the visiting Pakistan team vulnerable in their middle order.
KOLKATA: Indian captain Anil Kumble on Thursday said the retirement of Inzamam-ul-Haq has left the visiting Pakistan team vulnerable in their middle order.
"It affects the team when somebody of such stature retires from international cricket. But at the same time I'll say that they are a good team," Kumble said at the customary media conference on the eve of the second Test at the Eden Gardens.
Despite the six-wicket win in Delhi, the skipper said the team needed to be on the guard as the match was tighter than it seemed at the end.
"The first Test at Ferozeshah Kotla was close. And had we not picked up five early wickets on the fourth day, the match would have been closer," Kumble said.
The team wanted to carry the momentum from Kotla and ensure that "we really turn the screws earlier on," he said.
"We probably missed out in the first innings in Kotal by leeting them off the hook. I hope now whenever we get the opporutnity to turn the screw on we will be able to do it."
"I want to ensure that we get a 2-0 lead here and seal the series. That's the way I look at the Eden Test," he said.
Kumble said the visiting team held few surprises for the Indians.
"We're aware of their strengths and weaknesses. We would like to ensure that we utilise our strengths to the full. If we can stick to that, we would like to concentrate and build on our strengths," he said.
Pointing out that India had not won a home Test series against Pakistan since 1979-80, Kumble said "We now have a great opporutnity to do that."
The Indian captain said all his players were fit, but refused to disclose the final XI.
"We would like to take the decision later," he said.
The ace leggie did not feel that the fitness problems galore in the Pakistan camp would put India at an advantage.
"I don't think that. Ideally, we don't concentrate on things we can't control. I'm really happy that all members of my team are fit. That's only what I'm concerned with."
He rubbished a query on M S Dhoni's fitness, saying this was the first time he was hearing it.
Kumble praised Sourav Ganguly for doing well with the ball in the Kotla Test, and hoped that the seasoned pro would be able to gain more success with the cherry at the Eden.
Kumble ducked a bouncer from a scribe who sought to know whether Ganguly had been underbowled during earlier regimes.
"There is always a question mark on whether somebody is underbowling or overbowling. Some people think I overbowled in the last game. Some think I overbowled. You always have two sides of a coin.
"What matters is everybody contributing. And at the end of the day the bottomline is the team should win".
Asked whether he felt nervous ahead of the match, Kumble said "It's good to be a bit nervous. Regardless of the number of matches you play, on pre-match days you do feel nervous as you think about what is in store on the morrow".
Kumble also praised Dravid for the classy 38 the former skipper scored in the first innings of the Delhi Test.
"From the innings it seems that for Dravid it is now just a matter of going out there and getting century," Kumble said, recalling that "The Wall' had struck centuries in both innings when India took on Pakistan at the Eden in 2004-05.
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