Wet weather hits India Xi’s health

Press, 26 December 1985, Page 24

Wet weather hits India Xi’s health

By AAP correspondent DAVID MOORE Melbourne The wet and miserable weather which has robbed the touring Indian test team of much valuable match practice since its arrival in Australia last month has begun to take its toll on the players’ health. On the eve of the second test, India’s captain and champion all-rounder, Kapil Dev, was suffering from a cold and was unable to join his team-mates in their final practice session at the M.C.G.

Dev “the destroyer,” who notched up eight for 106 in Australia’s first innings in the first test at Adelaide, was rugged-up and croakyvoiced when he made his way to the ground to watch the practice session, and inspect the controversial Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch. The top order batsman, Dilip Vengsarkar, had also been troubled by a cold, but was feeling well enough to have a hit in the nets. Dev blamed his condition on the weather during his

stay in Tasmania last week, when the match between India and the state team was washed out. The Tasmania match was the second to be washed out without a ball being bowled after the opening match of the tour in Canberra. “I’m not feeling too well, but I’ll play — definitely,” Dev said yesterday. Dev said he and Vengsarkar were not the only players affected by the weather.

"I think most of the boys have got colds, or heavy chests.”

Despite the lack of match practice, and minor health problems, the Indian captain was confident of success in the Melbourne test. Asked what would win the match for India, Dev joked: “Haven’t we got everything — good batting, good bowling, we’re the stronger side.”

The Adelaide Test team is unchanged for today’s test The M.C.G. curator, Mr Jack Lyons, said the pitch would be lively in the first two hours today, and expected the captain winning

the toss to send his opposition to the crease.

The Australian captain, Allan Border, said his team would be out to win.

g 10“ I have a lot of confidence in our players and the important thing is the attitude they have towards this test,” he said.

But Border played down suggestions that that there was “aggro” developing between the sides.

“Let’s get things in the right perspective,” he said. “There will be no sledging, and there is no intention of starting any of that type of aggression against the Indians.

“But what I am keen to instil in the side is a competitiveness — a positive approach to our game.” Border was not prepared to make any predicitons about the M.C.G. wicket other than to say history had proved it to be difficult. “I know they have put a lot of work into it — and it’s showing results,” he said.

“But the weather has been so unpredictable and obviously it would be an influence on the result.”