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We tried, but it wasn't enough: Sachin

Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar, who returned home from a disastrous tour Down Under, on Tuesday said the team tried hard but it was not enough.

Asked whether the nucleus of the team would be retained, Sachin said: ''One has to give time to the youngsters to settle down. You cannot expect results overnight.''

Asked about the umpiring in Australia, Sachin said: ''I just feel unhappy and disappointed.''

On the ball tampering charges against him, He said these were ''worth laughing away.''

Coach Kapil Dev said he had difficulties on the tour. ''It was even more hard when the team was not performing well.''

Asked if he had missed any key players in the team, he quipped : ''I missed a lot of players... Sunil Gavaskar for instance.''

On how the team would recoup, Kapil said: ''Give us a couple of days. I will put down my plan of action in the report to the Board of Control for Cricket in India. I and physio Andrew Lepius have got things worked out. We will spell it out in the manager's report.''

Kapil said the team had a lot to learn from the Australians. The Aussies played better.

Asked about the reported resistance from the management on recalling former skipper Mohd Azharuddin, Kapil said: ''We will talk about it later. Whatever I want to say, I will put it before the Board.''

He parried a question on board secretary J Y Lele's criticism that the team for the triangular series was selected in Australia by the team management.

UNI

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