India will pose serious problems for hosts West Indies in their forthcoming four match one-day series, West Indies’ flamboyant captain Chris Gayle said on Tuesday.
The tourists — who lost their Twenty20 crown tamely when they bowed out in the Super 8 stage — will be without injured star batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, the latter of whom was sorely missed in the World Twenty20 series.
However, Gayle — who guided his side to the semi-finals — said India posed a formidable challenge.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“[India] still has quality players to step up and they have a lot of experience in One Day cricket so it’s not a situation where we will say it’s a walkover. It’s never a walkover against India,” added Gayle, who got into hot water earlier in the summer when he said that Test cricket was not high on his list of priorities.
“We have a big game on Friday against India. We’re all looking forward to it. India is always a good One Day team and they will be looking to beat us based on their T20 disappointment,” he said.
He said that despite criticism of his captaincy he was delighted with the role and had no problems in the dressing room.
“The support has been brilliant, the guys gave me their full support and I gave them the same sort of support and respect which they deserve,” Gayle said.
In related news, three Indian players had not left for the West Indies barely three days before the start of the four-match one-day series because of a delay in getting transit visas for Britain.
Batsmen Subramaniam Badrinath and Murali Vijay and uncapped all-rounder Abhishek Nayar were to join the team in the Caribbean after most members of the squad traveled directly from England following their premature exit from the Twenty20 World Cup.
A team source told reporters the trio had not gotten their visas for Britain, where they change airports, until Tuesday evening.
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