<p>The 2003 World Cup, held in South Africa, Kenya and Zimbabwe, saw a fearless and resurgent Indian side, almost reaching the pinnacle. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The team was undergoing a transition with the onus on the seniors to groom the emerging talents. For Javagal Srinath, one of India’s most successful fast bowlers, a phone call from skipper Sourav Ganguly did wonders, as he made a great comeback from the brink of retirement.<br /><br /> Srinath was called back into the World Cup squad and the veteran went on to pick 16 wickets. India stumbled at the last hurdle, losing to Australia in the final. Twelve years after the competition, Srinath spoke to Vivek MV of Deccan Herald on how India pulled off a stellar show at the grandest of all stages. Excerpts: <br /><br />How was the energy of the players before the start of the World Cup? <br /><br />We were confident of putting up a good show before the start of the campaign. We made specific plans for the big tournament and were determined to put them into action. <br /><br />India made a disastrous start, losing to Australia in the second match of the tournament. How did the team manage this early setback? <br /><br />It was slightly disappointing but that’s where I believe we improved as a team. It is easy to get unsettled when things go wrong at the very start. But we never let go off our confidence even after the defeat to Australia. Our unit trusted our plans to come good in the long run and we stuck to our strategies. <br /><br />You went on to play an integral role in India’s good run. How was the experience? <br /><br />It was a great experience. I was happy with my performance but the credits should go to Ashish (Nehra) and Zaheer (Khan) who bowled really well. The idea to go ahead with three pacers worked well for us. Our batsmen, with Tendulkar leading the pack, also played a huge role in our success. <br /><br />Being one of the senior players, what were the challenges in handling the youngsters? <br /><br />We had some exceptional young talents in our side. They shared a great bond with the seniors and showed immense honesty. I feel for a side to look balanced and produce favourable results, youngsters must trust their senior colleagues and be very honest in their approach. We got along very well. <br /><br />What were the immediate goals discussed during the tournament? <br /><br />Our first goal was to reach the Super Six stage. Once we were able to achieve it, we took one match at a time and believed that we could make it to the final. <br /><br />What was that one thing that kept the team keep up its consistency? <br /><br />The performance of the youngsters was the key. In Sehwag, Yuvraj, Kaif, Harbhajan and Ashish we had a very talented young team led well by Sourav. It is always easy to measure the performance of the senior players and they are generally expected to come good in major tournaments. But when youngsters become vital cogs, then it makes the real difference. <br /><br />Describe the mood in the team after India reached the final.It was a huge moment for us. The entire team was thrilled. We finally arrived at a point where it was just one match away from glory. <br /><br />What was the reaction in the dressing room after the defeat in the final? <br /><br />It was extremely disappointing not to lift the Cup. Things should have gone better for us but I guess we were done in by the nerves of playing in the final. <br /><br />In fact, after the match, I was the first one to put up my hand and accept that I did not perform well to help my team. But we were proud of our efforts throughout and realised that were beaten by a better team. <br /><br /></p>
<p>The 2003 World Cup, held in South Africa, Kenya and Zimbabwe, saw a fearless and resurgent Indian side, almost reaching the pinnacle. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The team was undergoing a transition with the onus on the seniors to groom the emerging talents. For Javagal Srinath, one of India’s most successful fast bowlers, a phone call from skipper Sourav Ganguly did wonders, as he made a great comeback from the brink of retirement.<br /><br /> Srinath was called back into the World Cup squad and the veteran went on to pick 16 wickets. India stumbled at the last hurdle, losing to Australia in the final. Twelve years after the competition, Srinath spoke to Vivek MV of Deccan Herald on how India pulled off a stellar show at the grandest of all stages. Excerpts: <br /><br />How was the energy of the players before the start of the World Cup? <br /><br />We were confident of putting up a good show before the start of the campaign. We made specific plans for the big tournament and were determined to put them into action. <br /><br />India made a disastrous start, losing to Australia in the second match of the tournament. How did the team manage this early setback? <br /><br />It was slightly disappointing but that’s where I believe we improved as a team. It is easy to get unsettled when things go wrong at the very start. But we never let go off our confidence even after the defeat to Australia. Our unit trusted our plans to come good in the long run and we stuck to our strategies. <br /><br />You went on to play an integral role in India’s good run. How was the experience? <br /><br />It was a great experience. I was happy with my performance but the credits should go to Ashish (Nehra) and Zaheer (Khan) who bowled really well. The idea to go ahead with three pacers worked well for us. Our batsmen, with Tendulkar leading the pack, also played a huge role in our success. <br /><br />Being one of the senior players, what were the challenges in handling the youngsters? <br /><br />We had some exceptional young talents in our side. They shared a great bond with the seniors and showed immense honesty. I feel for a side to look balanced and produce favourable results, youngsters must trust their senior colleagues and be very honest in their approach. We got along very well. <br /><br />What were the immediate goals discussed during the tournament? <br /><br />Our first goal was to reach the Super Six stage. Once we were able to achieve it, we took one match at a time and believed that we could make it to the final. <br /><br />What was that one thing that kept the team keep up its consistency? <br /><br />The performance of the youngsters was the key. In Sehwag, Yuvraj, Kaif, Harbhajan and Ashish we had a very talented young team led well by Sourav. It is always easy to measure the performance of the senior players and they are generally expected to come good in major tournaments. But when youngsters become vital cogs, then it makes the real difference. <br /><br />Describe the mood in the team after India reached the final.It was a huge moment for us. The entire team was thrilled. We finally arrived at a point where it was just one match away from glory. <br /><br />What was the reaction in the dressing room after the defeat in the final? <br /><br />It was extremely disappointing not to lift the Cup. Things should have gone better for us but I guess we were done in by the nerves of playing in the final. <br /><br />In fact, after the match, I was the first one to put up my hand and accept that I did not perform well to help my team. But we were proud of our efforts throughout and realised that were beaten by a better team. <br /><br /></p>
