New Delhi: West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo had an embargo regarding any questions on their ongoing dispute with the WICB, but the all-rounder said that the team stuck together in difficult times and maintained a "must-win attitude".


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"The good thing is that the team is sticking together and supporting each other well. We have a must-win attitude in the team, which is great to see," Bravo said when asked how tough it is to lead the side despite off-field controversies.


"Our support staff also brings in tremendous positive energy to the dressing room. It is good to have legends like Clive Lloyd, Curtly Ambrose or Richie Richardson in the dressing room.


"Curtly adds a different dimension to our team. The players really respect him and look up to him. I have grown up watching these legends and it is good to have them around where players can go to them and get some advice," Bravo told reporters ahead of the second ODI between India and West Indies here.


The West Indies Media manager, Philip Spooner had requested the reporters to strictly restrict their questions to only "cricket and tomorrow's match".


Asked how it felt to win the first ODI so convincingly against a strong Indian side at their own backyard without the services of the likes of Chris Gayle and Sunil Narine, Bravo said, "It is a great feeling to go 1-0 up against the World Champions, especially without guys like Chris and Narine.


"There have been times when we have started well but not finished to our potential. We have set ourselves a standard, now that we have got a good start, we have to make sure we maintain it. This is going to be our biggest test."


Bravo complimented his players for excelling in all departments of the game in the first ODI at Kochi and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.


"That was our best all-round game we have played in a long time. As a captain and as a group, you always ask your players to take up responsibility. You want one of the top four to try and bat deep into the innings and get a hundred.


"Samuels coming back into the team and scoring a hundred was great. Denesh Ramdin played his part as well and Dwayne Smith got a quick 46, which helped us put a good total on the board. We backed ourselves to defend it and it was an all-round performance at the end of the day. But we can't stop there...Need to repeat it," insisted the skipper.


Asked if West Indies, as team, are getting into the groove with the World Cup being just four months away, Bravo said he did not want to look too far ahead.


"World Cup is still a long way to go. Playing against one of the better teams in the world gives us an opportunity to see where we are as a team. At the moment, we are here in India and the focus is on this tour. We want to see how we play in the next four games and how we can do as an ODI team.


"We can't think about what happens four months hence. Before that we have a tour of South Africa coming up, and that will be tough as well. So we need to just focus on the present."


 


 


Nidhin, Coutinho extend stay at Mumbai FC


Mumbai, Oct 10 (PTI) Goalkeeper Nidhin Lal and midfielder John Coutinho have extended their contracts with I-League outfit Mumbai FC, the club said in a statement today.


Coutinho, 25, has been a part of Mumbai FC since 2008. He started his career with the youth team and managed to quickly climb up the ladder and make his mark in the senior team in the 2011-12 season.


Nidhin Lal, with the club since 2011, previously played for Pune FC and Indian Bank, and was also a part of the Kerela team that stood third in the Santosh Trophy in 2012.


"Mumbai FC is very close to my heart. The club has become my family and I am really happy to extend my contract here," said Coutinho.


On their retention, the club's head coach Khalid Jamil said, "We have done some good business already this season but it's also important to retain players that we already had last season. John and Nidhin have been a part of the squad for a few years now. It's good to have them in our squad.


"Players like John are part of the Mumbai FC philosophy. It's always good to see your youth players rise up the ranks to be part of the senior team."


Heaping praise on Nidhin, the coach said, "His attitude has been fantastic since day one. I believe he has great potential and he'll do well if he continues to work hard the way he does."