India opt to bat in TVS Cup opener against Bangladesh Barely three weeks after the end of the World Cup final, India take the field again for the inaugural match of the TVS Cup in Dhaka. Playing them under a new captain are hosts Bangladesh, and if Khaled Mahmud had to choose a particular Indian team to play in his first match at the helm, this one would not be far off the mark. Dhaka in April is typically hot and humid, and today is no different. The temperature in the middle towards the start of the match hovers in the mid-40s, while the humidity is expected to go as high as 86 percent. The track, like many other subcontinental ones, is dry and slow, expected to get slower as the day progresses. Keeping these weather and pitch-conditions in mind, then, Sourav Ganguly unhesitatingly chose to bat first after winning the toss. Ganguly is practically the only really experienced batsman in the Indian team after Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid opted out of the tournament on grounds of fitness. The bowling is only marginally better, with Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh the sole remnants of the much-vaunted World Cup attack. Gautam Gambhir and Avishkar Salvi, strong performers on the Indian domestic circuit, make their international debut.

We want to win the TVS Cup - Ganguly Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has made it clear that despite the loss of top stars - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath and Ashish Nehra - his team will be setting its sights on winning the TVS Cup. "India want to win wherever they go, and we have come here to lift the tournament (sic)," Ganguly said ahead of the TVS Cup opener against hosts Bangladesh. "Our mission is to win here, and for that the team is mentally and physically prepared." "There are a few youngsters in the side. But I tell you, they are all talented players and capable of playing good cricket," Ganguly observed. "Sachin and Rahul (Dravid) are obviously great players. But I think their replacements also have match-winning potential." When asked about the loss in the World Cup final, Ganguly said, "I was in total shock after that loss as we had played superbly throughout the tournament. It was one of the biggest disappointments in my three-year stint as Indian captain," said Ganguly. He also clarified that he would play in all matches despite a back problem, which had earlier led to speculation that he too would decide to opt out of the tournament. "I am not very sure whether I will open the batting because we have a talented young opener in Gautam Gambhir. If he opens with Virender Sehwag, I might play at number three," the Indian skipper revealed.

Wright's tenure extended by a year - BCCI official The Indian board has decided to extend coach John Wright's tenure by a year, a senior official said on Wednesday. "We have decided to extend by one year the tenure of the coach, physio and trainer," said the official, who did not want to be named. The tenure of Wright, who took over as India's first foreign coach in November 2000, physio Andrew Leipus and trainer Adrian Le Roux had ended with last month's World Cup in South Africa. The trio had been expected to keep their jobs after India's good run until their tame defeat in the Cup final to eventual champions Australia. Senior officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made the decision at an informal meeting held earlier this week. It is expected to be ratified at the BCCI's working committee on April 26-27.

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