The Indian cricket board asked chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar on Friday to travel to South Africa amid stinging criticism following the team’s bad start to the tour.
South Africa crushed India by 157 runs in the second one-day international on Wednesday after skittling them for 91 on a bouncy Durban pitch to extend the tourists poor batting in the last few months.
”Vengsarkar will join the team before the Test series,” the board’s chief administrative officer, Ratnakar Shetty, told Reuters.
Shetty said there was no reason to panic due to the loss, which has renewed attacks on coach Greg Chappell by sections of the Indian media.
”There is panic only in the media and public,” he said. ”
India reeled off a string of one-day victories until mid-2006 under Chappell, who was praised for ushering in changes and backing youngsters.
However, the team has struggled since they were upset 4-1 in West Indies in May. They also failed to reach the semifinals of the recent ICC Champions Trophy at home after faring poorly in a preceding tri-series in Malaysia.
South Africa lead the five-match one-day series 1-0 with the third game to be played in Cape Town on Sunday. The three-test series starts at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on December 15. – Reuters