HYDERABAD: Does Virat Kohli and his band of warriors need the help of the gods to overcome the West Indies? The Men in Blue decimated the West Indies in both the Test matches and then went on to assert their authority in no uncertain terms in the first one-dayer in Guwahati on Sunday but MSK Prasad , the Chairman of the National Senior Selection committee, and the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) officials believe that a little help from the unseen powers are in order for the Indian team to pull off the second match in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.Prasad and some of the officials and ground staff performed puja at one end of the 22-yard strip at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium on the morning of the day-night game. This was obviously done for the success of the Indian team but what is baffling is that the Indian team has won six of the seven ODIs played at this venue. Usually such pujas are done when the team is doing badly but this is not the case now. Hence was this puja a necessity? The West Indies, on the other hand, have a 1-1 record against the hosts at this venue.The Indians have been on a roll and the depleted West Indies have thus far failed to put up a meaningful challenge in the series. Therefore, turning to the gods for help looks a bit too far-fetched.Technically there may not be much wrong in it unless the pitch is damaged in the process. "As long as there is no damage done to the pitch, it is not a issue as it was supposedly done in the morning. Once the umpires take charge of the proceedings then no activity is allowed on the pitch till the match is over," said a former First Class player and a BCCI Match Referee."Some of the curators do puja at the ground before the start of the season etc but rarely is such a thing done on the day of the match. This is improper especially as it concerns an international game and could have best been avoided," he added."How can MSK take part in such an activity? He is the Chairman of the National Selection Committee and it doesn't suit his position. This is what happens when 'cricket illiterates' are in positions which they are not suited for. The game is secular and bringing religion and superstitious beliefs into the picture is not proper. This is a shameful act on the part of MSK," said GJJ Raju, a former Andhra player and ACA/VDCA official."The game is won or lost on the skills of the players and invoking the gods will not help anyone. Aren't we making a fool of ourselves by indulging in such cheap gimmicks? The BCCI should take a note of it and make sure that such things do not happen in the future," Raju added.