It is just a one-off game: Sourav Ganguly

 Sourav Ganguly (L)

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly believes that India still are the front runners to win the five-match One Day International (ODI) series against the West Indies despite their massive 124-run loss at Kochi in the first match. 

No need to lose sleep

Ganguly, speaking to Gocricket, said: "India should not lose sleep over the Kochi loss. There are four matches to be played and India have to pull up their socks. West Indies have surprised me with their cricket. They had two bad warm-up games but were a different team in Kochi." 

The 42-year-old felt that the Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s choice to field first after winning the toss led to their “one-off” defeat at home.

He said: "In conditions like Kochi where it gets to 45-46 degrees and the humidity is almost 100%, fielding 50 overs first can be very tough on any team, irrespective of how fit you are and West Indies were lucky to be batting first.

"It surely rained overnight but in Kochi and Colombo the moisture don't last forever. After the first 10 overs, the wicket was a batting beauty. It's fine in England to win the toss and field first but on flat tracks in India, batting first helps and Dhoni should know that." .

Kohli form a problem

Ganguly admitted that Virat Kohli has a few technical issues as far as his batting is concerned, and, going into the World Cup which is to be held in the testing conditions of Australia and New Zealand, it would be a huge concern for 

He said: "He has been a class act and a match-winner for India in the last four-five years. But his batting has technical flaws and it's not only against moving balls. Dhoni will be a worried man."