Team India must learn to deal with the pressure and expectations

dubai — Former India and the UAE coach Madan Lal reckons that expectations of a cricketobsessed country could bring the best out of the Indian team in the World Cup in England and Wales. But he also warned that it could be productive.

“They are going with (a) lot of expectations on their shoulders and that is my worry, extra pressure can bring the best out of you or you can crumble,” Lal, a key member of the India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team, told Khaleej Times over telephone from New Delhi.

“The World Cup is a different ball game and this one is a very open World Cup,” he reckons. He pointed out that hosts England haven’t won the mega tournament and this time they are strong favourites along with India.

“I wouldn’t rule out even the West Indies, they could be the dark horses and Afghanistan too can upset teams in this tournament,” he revealed.

Lal considers India as a very good side but would like the pacers to perform well.

“I believe if you have a good pace attack you can take 3-4 wickets at the start,” the former medium pacer says.

“The ball is not going to turn in England, therefore, pacers are key but bowling unit has to overall perform well,” Lal believes.

He said India’s quality spinners can take advantage of the early wickets by seamers.

“India have a good attack that has performed well in the last six months, but now the other teams have started playing them well,” the genial legend cautioned.

He also advised India’s lower order batsmen to take responsibility.

“Someone has to take responsibility down the order and we have good batsmen in (MS) Dhoni, (Kedar) Jaddubai hav and Hardik Pandya down the order to do that,” he pointed out.

On wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant’s World Cup snub, he said: “I felt for Rishabh, he is a very exciting talent. He is a match-winner, but sometimes the team management think different, what matters is what team management wants.”