Cricket

Upton takes over from Kirsten ahead of 3rd Test

Paddy Upton, India’s conditioning coach, has taken over the responsibilities from head coach Gary Kirsten, who flew back to South Africa yesterday evening to be with his ailing mother. In Kirsten’s absence, Upton wasn’t worried about having to delegate responsibilities to the Indian team, instead stressing to make sure the basics are all in place for a must-win game for India.

“Each person knows their role,” he said during India’s practice session at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium. “It’s a case of just doing what we’ve always been doing and doing that well.”

“There are guys out there who have captained India,” he said. “For me it’s just a case of coordinating the expertise which is already in the team. Gary would give his expert input and receive input from the players, and even though he’s not here, there are other experts.”

Tags: Gary Kirsten, Idea Cup 2008, India, paddy upton, sri lanka