Internet Desk: Team India director Ravi Shastri feel his team will not be too bothered with the noise at the Sher e Bangla stadium for the all important Asia Cup final on Sunday. It is expected a majority of the 25000 crowd at the stadium will be cheering for the Tigers who will be playing their first Big final at home. India who are on a role in the Asia Cup having won all the matches in the lead up to the final will be expecting a tough resistance from the hosts. In a short media briefing the Indian team director looked confident all throughout. Here are the excerpts:
How tough an opponent is Bangladesh playing at their own backyard in the final?
The first match was a good game. If you look at it Bangladesh was a very good win to start of the tournament. First game, we were under pressure and in the last ten overs we bounced back. But every game is a tough game. It’s how you do at the end of it, how you balance things out in batting and bowling department. And I thought we did an excellent job. But the first game was a tough game.
Big crowds make a difference?
We’re used to noise. Let there be 100%. Who cares? When you play at that level, you are immune to that. You can use to your advantage as well. You can be more geed up and show that you can play.
Pitches are not T20 pitches so far. Do you think for the final pitch, it should be good for big-hitters so that they could get good value for their batting?
Pitches are not in our hands. I was asked before the start of the tournament that you are going to get a green top? So be it. So whatever track is on offer tomorrow, we are ready to play. Our job is to go play in whatever conditions we are offered. Because you realise very quickly that it is not one team playing there, both teams have to play on that surface. So it is fair play.
Indians are playing fearless cricket. Can you go back and tell us how this transformation happened?
I will have to sit here for ten hours if I have to tell you all that. Since then we are the No 1 team in T20 cricket. It has been a gradual process but an enjoyable one. Let’s hope we can show that kind of cricket in the final too tomorrow.
Photo of MS Dhoni’s head in Taskin Ahmed’s hand…
I don’t read all these newspapers. You people read. We will go play cricket. I don’t have the habit of reading during matches. You read, you make your own assessments on that. Our job is to get out there and play cricket.
Two, three players who have come out and are really looking good…
I don’t like to single out any player. When the team is doing well, let’s talk about the Indian cricket team. That’s more important. This is not a game of individuals. This is a game of a team that goes out to play.
Few balls or few hits can turn things on its head and its a final. How does the team deal, knowing that?
We have experienced players. You just treat it as another game. Why treat it as a final. You approach it like you’ve approached every game in this tournament. For us every game is a knockout, we’ve approached it in that fashion. And we’ll approach tomorrow’s game in no different manner.
Pakistan has gone off boil. Do you think India-Bangladesh is becoming the biggest battle in the subcontinent?
I think all teams are very good in the subcontinent. You have your ups and your downs. Last year, Sri Lanka was the world champions here. Bangladesh has played very good cricket too. Not long ago Pakistan was in the top two. Now it’s India. You can never discount teams in the subcontinent. You will get a phase when you go up and you get a phase where you go off boil. Then you come up again. It happens to all teams.