Opportunity to win abroad,
says Ganguly

India skipper Sourav Ganguly says the upcoming West Indies tour would be a very good opportunity for his team to win an overseas series after a long time, but cautioned that the outing would not be as easy as is being expected.

"It's true that the West Indies side is not as strong as it was in the seventies and eighties. No side can maintain such standards for so long. But still they have players who can turn the game single-handedly," Ganguly said on Saturday, quickily mentioning the brilliance of Brian Lara and dependability of Carl Hooper.

"I hear a lot of talk that it will be a cakewalk for us. But I think things are not going to be easy. We have to play well to win. But I agree that the tour provides us a very good opportunity to win abroad," Ganguly said at a product launch fuction of his sponsors Pepsi in Kolkata.

On the wickets in the Carribean islands, Ganguly said the pitches at three of the venues - Guyana, Jamaica and Barbados - are likely to be fast and bouncy.

"It's difficult for me to comment on the wickets from here. But they are not going to be dry. I am expecting a lot of grass cover," he said.

Asked for his comments on the expected battle between Lara and Sachin Tendulkar, he said, "I look at it as a fight between India and West Indies. Both Lara and Tendulkar are great batsmen. But it's ultimately the triumph of the team which matters."

Mail Cricket Editor