ICC Champions Trophy: India Will Be A Tough Nut To Crack, Says John Wright

Former coach of the Indian cricket team, John Wright, said that India will be a tough nut to crack in the ICC Champions Trophy. He said that India has a good team and the bowling attack was perhaps the most potent ever. However, Wright reiterated that the Indian batsmen will have to adapt to the English conditions early in order to defend their Trophy. "India's got a good team. Your pace attack is perhaps the most potent it's ever been. The Indian seamers were very good in India earlier, and if Anil Kumble (the current India coach) can ensure that they stay disciplined (in terms of line and length) in England, it would be tough to beat India," Wright was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

"However, your batsmen need to adapt quickly to the conditions, because it'll be early summer in England, and the ball will seam around. In fact, the team which the quickest in adapting to the English conditions will win the tournament," he added.

Talking about Kumble, Wright said that the current bunch of players are lucky to play under him. "The current group of India players are so fortunate to have Kumble as their coach. He's an outstanding man of great integrity and great intelligence."

Like India, Mumbai Indians (MI) also enjoyed success under Wright. Talking about his coaching skills, he said, "I learnt about T20 cricket from football. I remember Brian Clough, (who was a manager of Nottingham Forrest when they won two European Cups) had said, 'What's the point of scoring six, if you let in seven'.

"So, I firmly believe that you've got to have a good fielding and bowling unit in T20 cricket," Wright added.

Commenting on the first Play-off between MI and Rising Pune Supergiant, Wright said, "Last night's match was a great example of how momentum swings in Twenty20 cricket. We were in total control till the last two overs (of the Pune innings), and then (MS) Dhoni went crazy and played brilliantly, and we didn't execute our plans well. Then, they got a couple of early wickets, and all of a sudden things changed."

"Rohit Sharma (MI captain) was unlucky last night. He has hit the ball. It changed the game. I like the review system, and I don't like it. I like it when it's so obviously not out, that the first replay says it's not out. We can all see it, can't we?"