Ganguly on the defensive after ordinary show

Forced on the defensive after his team was outplayed by Victoria Bushrangers in the tour-opener, India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly said it is common for a visiting side to feel the blues in the first game of an Australian tour.

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"It is the first game of the tour and teams do take time to settle down," said Ganguly, before rushing off to the airport to catch a flight for Brisbane, where the team plays a three-day game against Queensland on Saturday before the first Test, starting on December 4.

"The bowlers sometimes bowled a good line and at other times were too short but it can happen to a team playing its first game in Australia," Ganguly said.

The Indian skipper also backed Virender Sehwag despite the opener failing in both innings of the match.

"He is a proven customer. Obviously, he failed in this game but he would have another dig in Brisbane," he said.

Ganguly also chose to overlook Victoria's decision to continue their innings late on the third day.

"There is no surprise in what they did today. They also obviously wanted to give as much time as possible to Brad Hodge to improve his chances for Test selection," he said.