Ganguly unconcerned about possible negative tactics

Indian captain Saurav Ganguly professed himself unconcerned on Wednesday at the prospect of England left-arm spinner Ashley Giles again adopting negative tactics in an effort to frustrate the talented Indian batsmen during the first Test starting at Lord's on Thursday.

Giles bowled persistently wide of the leg-stump to India's leading batsman Sachin Tendulkar during the three-Test series in India late last year, won 1-0 by the home side.

He was finally rewarded in the drawn third Test when Tendulkar lost patience and was stumped 10 runs short of what would have been his second century of the series.

"I think that's the way Ashley bowls," said Ganguly. "Even when I saw him bowl for his county (Warwickshire) he bowled from that side of the wicket.

"I saw him bowl in Pakistan where he bowled a lot from that side of the wicket. He bowled that in India as well. In the one-day series he did the same thing. That's how he bowls and I don't see any problem with that."

Ganguly said his side had been lifted by their astonishing victory over England in the final of the triangular one-day series including Sri Lanka. Chasing an England total of 325, India reached their target with two wickets to spare.

"We have done well in one half of the series," Ganguly said "The other half starts tomorrow. It's two different ball games. It's going to be a new day tomorrow."

India have not won a series overseas since they beat England in 1986, with their most recent loss coming in the Caribbean this year.

"We would like to win a series outside the sub-continent," Ganguly said. "We have had opportunities over the last year which we couldn't hold on to and hopefully we are mentally tougher this series.

"We have been in the country for a month now and we have got used to the weather."

India will select from a squad of 12 on Thursday morning after omitting pace bowler Tinu Yohannan, all-rounder Sanjay Bangar, opening batsman Shiv Sundar Das and reserve wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel.

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