India coach John Wright gave a vote of confidence to his struggling top order batsmen ahead of the two-Test cricket series against South Africa, saying they have the class to bounce back sooner than later.
He accepted that the top order batsmen did not perform to potential in recent Tests but expressed confidence of them clicking collectively again.
"The batsmen have not performed up to their potential. The guys are class players, but they have not clicked for some time. As a coach, I back them and I am quite sure they will click sooner than later," Wright said, after the Indian team had a strenuous practice session at the Green Park stadium in Kanpur on Thursday.
"Players like [VVS] Laxman were nominated for two awards recently. [Sachin] Tendulkar, [Rahul] Dravid and [Virender] Sehwag -- they have a lot of class. They have done the job for us in the past, they have to do it now. They will be under a little pressure now, but they are all experienced to handle all these things," he said.
Asked whether the Indians are planning any changes in the batting order for the first Test, beginning on November 20, Wright replied: "There will be no changes in the batting order. It is up to us to bat well; batting is our strength."
The team management may have to leave out the in-form Mohammad Kaif from the playing eleven with skipper Sourav Ganguly returning to the Test squad after a side strain ruled him out of the last two Tests against Australia.
"Kaif has done a wonderful job in the Tests he got to play. It is good to have him around. But there will be no room for sentiments when we sit down to decide the team."
Talking about the Green Park track, Wright said, "It does not look like the pitch will have a great deal of pace. Sometimes you get an indication about how the pitch will play by watching the practice tracks.
"The pitch will definitely take turn at some stage. I can't say when, but it will definitely turn. The first innings score will be very important."
Asked whether the Indians would go into the match with three specialist spinners as they had done in the Mumbai Test against Australia, he said, "We are definitely going into the match with two spinners. Whether we will have an extra spinner will be decided tomorrow.
"The 3-1 combination (three spinners and a pacer) worked well for us against Australia in Mumbai. But the conditions were different there. Here, because of the moisture factor, we may have to take two seamers."
Wright also said Ganguly is expected to join the team late Thursday afternoon as he was held back in Kolkata in connection with his appeal against the two-Test ban slapped on him for slow over rate during the One-Day International against Pakistan.
He said the team is capable of beating the South Africans if it plays to its potential.
"The series is just like any other series. We want to win; if we play well, we can do it. We have a lot of respect for the opposition. They play tough cricket and we can't underestimate them."
Asked whether the Indian team management had given any instructions to the curator in view of the Nagpur fiasco, Wright replied in the negative.
"We have always said that we want good batting tracks to start with. We do not want tracks which give too much of sideways movements. Once you start messing up with wickets you are in trouble," he said.
On whether he is worried about his bowlers who could not defend a score of 292 against Pakistan in the Platinum Jubilee match, Wright said, "This is a Test match; the balance of the team is totally different. The bowlers going into the match are in good form."
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