Even before the scribe could finish asking about India's shaky performance in Friday's match against Kenya, skipper Sourav Ganguly roared back: "We were struggling in the middle. We were in the dumps, but I think we pulled back very well."
Ganguly had just completed his second century of the tournament and paved the way for an India win. He is one century short of equalling Mark Waugh and Sachin Tendulkar's record of four World Cup hundreds.
Despite the six-wicket victory, which appeared convincing in the end, the Indian skipper was an unhappy man. Chasing 226, his side -- 24 for 3 at one stage, and Sachin Tendulkar out without getting into double figures for the first time in the tournament -- went through many anxious moments before picking full points from the match.
Ganguly blasted the fielding, saying: "We were just not there.
"It has been six days since the game against Pakistan. The days were enough for to pull ourselves through. Today things just didn't fall into place. We have to pull ourselves together if we have to be the last two teams remaining in the tournament," he warned.
"It has been one of those days. We have fielded well over the last few months. It has got to do with the minds. If [Mohammad] Kaif drops a catch you don't have much to say. We have to get it right."
Praising Yuvraj Singh for his match-winning fifty, he said, "Yuvraj is a match winner; he has won us games out of nowhere."
He picked his partnership with Rahul Dravid as the key to winning the game and remarked that the small teams always worry the big sides.
He expressed confidence in Virender Sehwag despite the opener failing to get going in this World Cup.
"He is a top class player. There is a lot of cricket left in the tournament and if he performs in the big games that's okay with me."
The skipper, however, said he hasn't figured out the semi-finals equation yet.
"I have thought about it. I don't know where we stand yet. We should win one more match if we have to get through to the semis. The key is where we are placed in the semi-final standings."
Asked if he would prefer playing Australia at Port Elizabeth in a day game or any of the other sides at Durban under lights, he shot back, "You know my answer. We want to play the best team in the pressure game."
India play Sri Lanka nex at the Wanderers on March 10.
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