Indian Team Arrives

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31595, 5 February 1968, Page 14

Indian Team Arrives

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND.

The promise of attacking cricket, whatever the consequences, was given by the manager of the Indian cricket team (Mr Bhulam Ahmed) when the 16-man touring side arrived in Auckland yesterday afternoon.

The first match of the tour, against the President’s XI, will start today. “We will play attacking cricket,” said Bhulam Ahmed. “We are not worried about

winning or losing. Naturally we want to win our matches, but with the right type of cricket.”

The captain (the Nawab of Pataudi) said that his batsmen liked to attack. “This is not a team policy, this getting on with the game. Our chaps just like playing cricket that way.” The Indians were not disappointed with their Australian tour which gave Australia a 4-0 clean sweep of the tests.

“It was not a disappointment,” said Bhulam Ahmed. “Certainly we started badly but we improved. We had only one test where we played really badly and then we improved so. much that we had a winning chance in both the third and fourth tests.”

The biggest handicap in Australia was that the Indians took time to adjust to the Australian conditions. “There was the higher bounce and the faster pitches,” said Pataudi. “I understand that your pitches are not so fast and that some take spin.” When asked if he thought that the Indian batsmen would find it difficult to readjust to the slower New Zealand conditions Pataudi said: “No, I don’t think so. It is much easier to change your style for slower pitches.” The Indian side for today is: Nawab of Pataudi (captain), B. S. Bedi, C. G. Borde, R. B. Sidesai, F. M. Engineer, M. Jaisimha, R. G. Nadkarni, E. A. S. Prasanna, D. N. Sardesai, R. Saxena, R. Surti, Indrajit Simhj (twelfth man).