& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Proteas arrive in India

Smith puts selection row behind

Agencies, chennai
South Africa skipper Graeme Smith on Saturday said he had full faith his team would overcome selection controversies and excel in the three-Test series against India starting here next week.
The tourists arrived for the three-Test scries amid a storm or controversy following the omission of paceman Andre Nel to fulfil the team's quota of non-white players.
Nel was furious at being dropped, prompting speculation he will quit the international game.
Fellow paceman Charl Langevcldt, a mixed-race player chosen in Nel's place, backed out of the tour as a result of the tension created by his selection, saying he did not want to be selected on the basis of his colour. Langevcldt was accommodated to conform with the board's transformation policy that requires six players of colour to be picked in a squad of 14
Black fast bowler Monde Zondeki was named as replace-
ment.
I he first Test begins in Chennai on Wednesday.
Smith, however, said he was confident his team would overcome the odds and succeed in the lusts, which begin on Wednesday.
’ It is a bit disappointing. We feel for the players and have spoken to them. It affects the team certainly. But we arc mature enough and our job is to continue with the game," he told reporters.
India are a formidable side at home but we have the team to succeed in their conditions. We have two good spinners in left-armers Paul Harris and Robin Peterson and a battery of young fast bowlers who arc capable of dismissing India twice in a game.
"We also have good batters in the top six positions. I am confident that they are capable of fulfilling the task," he said.
South Africa go into the scries on the back of a triumphant tour against Bangladesh while India are fresh from a rare one-day victory against Australia.
India put up a solid display on their Australia tour, losing an acri-
monious Test series 2-1 before winning the one-day CB Series, where they beat world champions Australia 2-0 in the finals.
"It is going to be a big challenge," Smith said. "I know India have come back after a great tour of Australia."
However, he was confident there would be no verbal clashes like the ones that maned India’s tour.
"It will be a battle of cricket and not a battle of nerves," he said.
Much is at stake in the scries as the results will decide who takes the second spot in the official Test rankings, currently headed by Australia.
Former South Africa opening batsman Gary Kirsten will begin his term as India coach. The tourists are upset that he has lured mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton.
Coach Mickey Arthur said Upton's presence in the Indian camp could be a disadvantage because he knew the South African players well.
The second Test will be played in Ahmedabad from April 3 while the third and final match is slated to be held in Kanpur from April 11.