Dilley not worried about England's bowling

England assistant coach Graham Dilley was unconcerned on Sunday after watching his bowlers struggle on the opening day of their Indian tour.

A Mumbai Cricket Board President's XI amassed 373 for five wickets in the two-day tour game, but the former England fast bowler was not reading too much into the performance.

"You got to be very careful you get your preparation right, you don't overbowl the guys that are going to be playing in the first Test," Dilley told reporters.

Not one member of Nasser Hussain's squad has played a Test in India, and England have two more three-day games to prepare before the first Test starts in Mohali on December 3.

"We are just trying to get better and better and more acclimatised to our cricket in these conditions and get ready for the first Test," Dilley said. "There is no point anybody peaking too early."

Inexperienced opening pair Matthew Hoggard and James Ormond went wicketless as the local side, led by former Test player Vinod Kambli's run-a-ball 109, dominated the day.

DAWSON BOOST

Dilley praised Richard Dawson after the uncapped Yorkshire off-spinner acquitted himself well against batsmen adept at playing slow bowling.

The 21-year-old took two for 81, sending down 24 overs on a hot and humid day at the Wankhede stadium.

"He was very, very good. He looks to me as if all things being equal, there is a future," Dilley said.

"He seems to me as if he knows what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. How he is going to go about doing it is the key to being successful."

Dawson and Martyn Ball, another uncapped off-break bowler, are expected to vie for a test place alongside left-armer Ashley Giles on the spinner-friendly Indian pitches.

Meanwhile, former test player Kambli, who grabbed the day's honours with an entertaining century, has not given up hope of a test recall six years after he played the last of his 17.

The left-hander, who made his debut on England's previous tour of India in 1993 when he hit a 224 in the third test in Bombay, revealed he was nearly ruled out of the match through illness.

"But I charged myself up to play against England," he said.

Mail Cricket Editor