No retirements as India look to put drubbing behind them

Monday, 30 January 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Charges of complacency aimed at India are only likely to intensify after they fell to a crushing 4-0 series defeat in Australia and an eighth successive loss in overseas tests on Saturday.

The news conference after a fourth emphatic defeat in the series, this time by 298 runs, opened with the team’s media manager denying reports back home that a “senior player” - namely Rahul Dravid - would be retiring.

It continued with stand-in captain Virender Sehwag suggesting that all teams suffer poor runs of form and India should just put the humiliating reverse by behind them.

“If you look at the Australian team, they were struggling as well in the Ashes last year and they got out for 47 in South Africa, so it happens with every team so we have to rebuild the team,” he said.

“There are experienced players in our team, they are well aware of that and they are working on that, one bad series doesn’t make any difference for them, so they are working hard on their batting skills and they’ll find a way.

“The best way out is to forget what happened and concentrate on what we will do in coming matches and coming series and practised hard and plan well and execute your plans in the game,” he added.

By saying the team needed to be rebuilt, Sehwag made it clear that would not mean the retirement of some of the golden generation of batsmen who arrived in Australia hopeful of winning a first test series Down Under.

“I don’t think (changes) are due because the same team played in the last couple of years when we became the number one team in the world with the same batting and bowling lineup,” he said.

Sachin Tendulkar had a reasonable series despite failing to capture his 100th international century but Dravid, VVS Laxman, captain Mahendra Singh Doni and opener Sehwag himself were all huge disappointments.

The inexperienced Virat Kohli was the only Indian batsman to score a century in any of the four tests.

Sehwag understood the frustration of fans but said it was at moments like these, not just successes like the 50-over World Cup triumph last year, that the support of the fans was necessary.

“When we won the World Cup everyone was happy and cheering for Team India, and now the time we need the support of the fans and everybody, they should back their own team,” he said.

The 33-year-old, who averaged 24.75 runs over the series, said accusations the India team simply did not care enough about losing a test series were well wide of the mark.

“It’s very unfair,” he said. “I think everybody cares about their performances, about India losing the game.

“We are very passionate about our game and passionate about our team and it’s a shame that people are talking about that.

“If you lose the game you should work it out what went wrong and come back and perform well in our next games. We are trying that, but it’s not happening and it doesn’t mean that we are happy to lose here.”