Cricinfo - Performance more important than result, feel Ganguly, Wright

A win was the last thing on the minds of captain Sourav Ganguly and coach John Wright ahead of India's first Test against Zimbabwe starting in Bulawayo on Thursday with the duo emphasising that it was the performance of the team that mattered more than the result.

"We are not looking at the 2-0 scoreline. We want to win sessions (of playing days) and if we play good cricket, the results will take care of themselves," Ganguly told reporters after the team's practice session on Wednesday.

"We are looking to play 10 days of good cricket. We don't want to look that far ahead (at the result). It is like a batsman walking out (to the crease) - he is not looking at a hundred straightaway," he said.

Wright was more clear. "Personally, I don't like talking about winning. What's really important is that we play the first two hours well, then the next two hours and the then the next two hours."

But that they were not totally oblivious of the ultimate objective of winning the first series win outside the sub-continent in 15 years was evident when Ganguly said, "We have to set our records straight in this series otherwise all our previous records will boil down to zero."

And he underlined it with "the bottom line is: play good cricket to win Test matches".

Ganguly refused to accept that India's poor performance on foreign soil was because of the fast and bouncy pitches. "I don't think the wicket has got much to do with our performance abroad. If you go through the record of our top batsman - probably Das is playing for the first time and Ramesh - but the rest of us nearly average 50 per innings abroad. Sachin (Tendulkar), Rahul (Dravid) and I average more than 50 abroad, more than what we have managed at home. So I don't think the wicket has been an issue," he said.

"I have been involved with touring Indian sides for five years now and I would not say we were never in a position to win abroad. We came close to doing it in the West Indies, in Wellington, in South Africa. Indeed the Barbados defeat was the saddest since we couldn't get 120 runs in the last innings. But this team looks to have it in them."

Then he went on to outline why he believed India would do well in this series. "We are now a unit. We have got together as a team which has probably been our strength in the last six months. I also think we have the bowling strength to get sides out twice. We have struggled for a third seamer on previous tours, and I think we probably have the solution here. The team probably looks more solid than it has ever been before. I don't believe in harping on the past but the way I we fought in the Australia series and the way we came out of difficult situations, I think, that has given me more confidence than the victory (against the Aussies) itself. I think that's going to help us and stand for us in tough situations."

"I am also very confident about Bhajji (Harbhajan Singh). I think he is match-winner on any surface. But then he has to prove it," Ganguly said.

What he probably left unsaid was that India have one of the best batting line-ups in the world despite some doubts over the performance of openers Shiv Sunder Das and Sadagopan Ramesh.

Wright was ready to give the duo a clean chit though. "I am happy with the way they have shaped up. We would have liked them to play really better in the first game. Opening is a critical position. We want to go through the first two hours and the first three batsmen are very important."

The coach too was happy with India's pace bowling options. "Obviously things are more optimistic now. We have the players who can get fourfive wickets. It is good because conditions here are different than India. So seam bowling and catching will be important areas."

Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak was banking on his battery of young pace bowlers to exploit the Indians' perceived discomfort against fast bowling on fast and bouncy tracks. Andy Blignaut and Baton Watamba are Zimbabwe's newest finds who along with Travis Friend and the skipper himself form a potent attack.

"They are young and don't have much experience but they have got genuine ability. Only, they have to remember where they should be bowling to specific players... not to be overawed by names and reputations and who they are bowling at."

Streak chose Friend, who would be making his debut tomorrow, for special mention. "He has good pace and bounce and has the ability to take wickets on any kind of surface at any time. I think he would be a good prospect for us. It is a huge game for us, a huge series. We had a very tough one when we played in India but quite a few positive things have come out of that. Obviously, playing at home we know the conditions a little better and we can give them a run for their money."

Coming to the danger man, Harbhajan Singh, Streak said: "We watched a lot of him playing in the Australian series. Obviously the wickets there were more conducive to spin. Each person has thought out his own way (to tackle Harbhajan), and we have got some feedback on him and how he has bowled in the two warm up games at Mutare and Harare. Not a lot of guys have faced him, but hopefully, we have discussed how to play him."

Performance more important than result, feel Ganguly, Wright