Time the key for India, says Laxman

VVS Laxman insisted the team could put their NatWest defeat behind them and be a force to be reckoned with in the ICC Champions Trophy.

India batsman Venkatsai Laxman insisted the team could put their 2-1 one-day series defeat by England behind them and be a force to be reckoned with in the ICC Champions Trophy.

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'The mini World Cup' gets underway in England on Friday with India, the co-holders after the 2002 final against Sri Lanka in Colombo was washed out, playing their first match of the competition against Kenya - a repeat of last year's World Cup semi-final - at the Hampshire Rose Bowl on Saturday.

But despite Sunday's morale-boosting 23-run win against England at Lord's, India were still bowled out for 204, the latest instance of their powerful batting line-up failing to fire en masse.

"It's just a matter of spending more time in the middle and converting those 30s into big ones," Laxman told reporters at the squad's hotel here on Monday.

"We are not clicking as a unit. Even as a team, the batting has let us down. People are not able to convert those starts into big ones."

India will be without Sachin Tendulkar for the whole of the Champions Trophy after the master batsman withdrew because of an elbow injury.

Laxman, famed for his ability to whip even balls pitched outside off-stump through mid-wicket, opened the innings on Sunday in place of the out-of-form Virender Sehwag, who dropped down to number four.

But Laxman insisted this was a temporary measure. "I think it was a one-off. It was only me who had opened before in this side.

"Everyone knows the potential Sehwag has got. He has been a match-winner for us. It's just a matter of one big innings. He can turn around a match for us single-handedly for us. No-one is doubting his abilities."

India face arch-rivals Pakistan at Edgbaston on September 19 in front of what will be a capacity crowd after the game was sold out within hours of tickets going on sale.