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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - India coach Greg Chappell hopes the team's latest defeat at the World Cup will not spark violence in the cricket-crazy country.
India virtually crashed out in the first round after a shattering 69-run defeat to Sri Lanka in a crunch Group B match on Friday. Their slim hopes of progressing now hinge on an unlikely defeat for Bangladesh in Sunday's final group game against Bermuda.
Indian fans resorted to violence after the team's shock defeat to Bangladesh last week.
"In the light of recent incidents, you've got to be concerned," Chappell told a news conference.
"Again, when India wakes up tomorrow they will be disappointed. There will probably be many of them who will be angry with what has happened. (But) I hope people realise that it is just a game.
The former Australian skipper refused to lay the blame at anyone's door for India's poor performances.
"It is a very emotional time for a lot of people and in the light of recent incidents I'm not going to be making any comments on what is wrong with anything or anybody," he said.
Chappell said India had a history of failing in major one-day events overseas and had not won since they triumphed in the World Series tournament in 1985 in Australia, two years after their World Cup victory in England.
Captain Rahul Dravid said India did not deserve to qualify for the next round after playing such poor cricket but hoped reaction back home would not pose problems for his players on their return.
"I hope that the players won't be under any physical danger," he said.
"I don't expect that to be the case to be honest. People will be disappointed and that is fair enough.
"They had invested a lot of hope in this team and we haven't delivered."
The Indian skipper said it was hugely disappointing he and senior team mates such as Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly and Anil Kumble might end their careers without a World Cup medal.
"It is not an ideal scenario," he said.
"If you were writing a fairytale, you wouldn't write it this way.
"That is the beauty and cruelty of sports sometimes."
- REUTERS
