When the Australian cricket team led by Ricky Ponting arrived in India last week, its coach, John Buchanan, was more than convinced that despite their top fast bowlers not being in the side, the newcomers would fill the void effectively. But that did not happen on Sunday at Gwalior, where India beat the world champions comprehensively.
In an exclusive interview with Chief Correspondent Onkar Singh, Buchanan declared that Australia's strength is its batting. "We have a good side and we will go out and hope to give a good performance," he said, singling out Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan as the key Indian players. Excerpts:
What are your expectations from your side?
We have come here without some of our top players. This gives an opportunity to others to fill in their place. We have a good, strong batting lineup. Having given a good account of ourselves at home and abroad, we expect to go out and give a good performance. We hope to play good one-day cricket in India.
Matthew Hayden seems to be in good touch...
Yes, Matthew Hayden is in fantastic form right now and we hope he will add to our batting strength as he has done in the past consistently.
As coach, have you ever wondered why world records fall mostly to the lefthanders?
No, I have not, but it is something I would like to figure out as much as anyone else. Sir Garfield Sobers, Brain Lara, and now Matthew Hayden are all natural lefthanders.
Steve Waugh is not in the side; do you miss him?
This is a strange sight, but I guess things have to move on. He was not selected for the World Cup and I guess his one-day career has come to an end now. Since we are here to play in the triangular series, it obviously is the reason why he is not in the side. Of course, one misses a player of his calibre.
You have come to India minus your top bowlers. Do you feel the newcomers will be able to fill in the gap?
Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie are not in the side and obviously we are going to miss them. But it does give other players an opportunity to prove themselves. So long as these players were fit they [the newcomers] would not find a place in the side. So those who have got an opportunity should make the best use of it.
How would you rate your chances in the triangular series?
Australia is one of the three teams, India and New Zealand being the other two. We cannot take them lightly. We will try to win the tournament. We feel we have a very good chance of doing that.
The Indian cricket team will be visiting Australia later this year. How would you rate India's chances on that tour considering that India has not had happy memories of Australia in the past?
I guess you have said the right thing. Australia has not been a happy hunting ground for the Indians, but we are not going to undermine the present Indian cricket team, which has tremendous potential to perform, particularly when they are under pressure. So let us wait and watch.
Which Indian players are going to give you good competition?
Well, the whole lot, I would say. [Virender] Sehwag, Rahul [Dravid], [Sourav] Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar are all fantastic players, particularly the little master, who can swing the game India's way literally on his own. They have a solid batting lineup.
Then Zaheer Khan will perform much better in India than he did in the World Cup. He has great support from Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh.
Ricky Ponting has taken over from illustrious predecessors. How is he doing as captain of the limited overs side?
He has performed admirably so far. He took over from Steve [Waugh], but there is no point making comparisons whether he is better or worse. He is an exciting captain and is leading the team by example. He understands the game and his players as well. He manages to get the best out of his team and that is what counts at the end of the day.
You expect to win the tri-series and go back home on a triumphant note...
Yes, we would like to go back home after winning the tournament. At least that is what we hope to do. Rest depends upon how the boys perform under pressure.
