Tags:
Journalism of Courage
New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming was expecting India to struggle in their opening match of the tri-series tomorrow, saying their decision to arrive at the venue barely 24 hours before the match could backfire.
8220;I am a bit surprised at Indians8217; late arrival at the venue. It will be interesting to see how they manage their energies. If they win then obviously it is a smart move but if they struggle, as I expect them to struggle, it wouldn8217;t be such a smart move,8221; said the no-nonsense captain, currently riding a high with good performances under his belt.
The Indians arrived in Zimbabwe on Monday but spent the next two days in Harare, fine tuning their preparation and letting go an opportunity to acclimatise themselves to the difficult conditions in Bulawayo.
Bulawayo gets extremely hot in the afternoon and Fleming described it as 8216;a sense of burning in the lungs8217; during daytime.
He also said India would be under pressure to perform well against his galvanised side.
8220;They have always been a very strong side but I expect the pressure to be on them to perform. They are naturally gifted players although I haven8217;t followed their form.8221;
Fleming said one of the reasons why his team has been in top form is because all the players have been fit and available for selection including Nathan Astle.
Fleming indicated Cairns could be dropped tomorrow but it would not be because of poor form.
Fleming felt it would be a good move to bowl first since the early morning dew was expected to help fast bowlers.
