DHAKA, 10 December 2004 — India will focus on results and not records in the first Test against Bangladesh starting today, even though two of their players are on the verge of personal milestones, captain Saurav Ganguly said.

Leg spinner Anil Kumble needs just one wicket to cross the Indian record of 434 Test scalps and batsman Sachin Tendulkar is one short of Sunil Gavaskar’s world mark of 34 Test centuries.

“I don’t think we can go into a test match thinking of records and scoring so many runs or taking these many wickets, Ganguly told reporters after a team practice session yesterday.

“Obviously, we have two guys who are close to making records, Anil and Sachin. It’ll happen when it happens.” The teams will play two tests and three one-dayers.

The tour had become uncertain earlier this week after militants threatened the Indian team.

India sent a security team to review the situation in Dhaka and Chittagong despite Bangladesh dismissing the threat as a hoax.

Both venues were given the green signal but the two tests have been delayed by a day each.

Ganguly, whose first Test as captain was Bangladesh’s inaugural match in Dhaka four years ago, said he was more worried about the Indians being complacent against the weaker side rather than the security issues.

“We were in spot in a bother in the first three days of the (inaugural) Test match when Bangladesh got 400...,” he said. “We were 200 for six at stumps but we managed to get close to 400 then managed to win... Bangladesh did pretty well in their first Test match.”

India struggled to win a two-Test series against South Africa 1-0 last week, after losing 2-1 at home to Australia, to climb to their highest-ever ranking of third in the ICC Test list.

Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar is hoping his side will brush aside their 2-0 defeat to New Zealand in October, when they lost both matches in less than four days each. “This is the first Test series against India, obviously we’re positive and hopeful that we can overcome the bad experience of the last series against New Zealand,” he said. Bangladesh, who are yet to register their maiden Test win, have lost 29 and drawn three of their 32 matches.

But coach Dav Whatmore said they were gradually looking up. “We’re slowly getting the right combination. We’ve pretty decent domestic competitions, which need to be nurtured and flourished to get a good group of youngsters coming through,” he said.