India Pak third Test promises another explosive contest

Chennai, Aug 9 (UNI) With the five Test series level at 1-1, India having won the first and Pakistan the second at Visakhapatnam, the third match here is all set to produce a pulsating contest at the Nehru Indoor Stadium tomorrow.

Addressing a joint press conference at the stadium before a warm up soon after arriving from Vizag, the coaches S Sreedharan and Stefan G Dimitrov and the managers and captains of the two teams vouched for this.

Both Sreedharan and Dimitrov said the teams had been playing attacking game and were equally strong. Sreedharan however, said India would have to improve the blocking.

''The strength of the Pakistan team is attack and our net block has to be better, he said.

India's captain Sanjay Kumar back in the team after being dropped on disciplinary grounds from the recently-concluded commonwealth championship expressed the confidence that his side would be looking after this aspect in tomorrow's match.

The Pakistani coach Dimitrov said, 'We are taking the series very seriously. We are preparing for the Asian championships later this month.'' He said the team would put behind yesterday's win not to be complacent.

''We will give off our best in the next game also as the Indian team is strong,'' he added.

Pakistan team's manager Sardar said an Indo-Pak volleyball contest evokes the same intensity of competition like a cricket or a hockey match between the two nations.

''Of course, the intensity is the same,'' he said.

It was after 1961 that an Indo-Pak Test series was being revived, Mr Sardar, who himself is a former international for Pakistan, recalled.

FIVB regional director, former international and Dronacharya awardee V Ramaies said the series would be a regular feature as the objective was to raise the standard of the teams in the Central Asian zone to that of the European and Central American countries.

UNI