Strategy misfired: Engineer
Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Farokh Engineer blasted the wicket prepared for the first Test at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune. The BCCI curators went out of the way to greet the Australians with a rank turner, but it boomeranged on the hosts as they lost after being shot out for 105 in the first innings and 107 in the second.
“I am totally shocked. I watched every ball in this game, the first ball turns square; you don’t prepare a Test match wicket (like this). You prepare a Test match wicket to last five days,” Engineer said after visiting the BCCI headquarters to meet the Committee of Administrators.
“As it so happened, Australians won the toss and decided to bat. The whole thing misfired in our faces, we never expected.
“I have played in Pune several times and there are some of the finest batting tracks. I am not saying prepare a batting paradise, prepare a 50-50 wicket, which gives the bowler an even chance, leave a little grass on it. There was no grass on it at all and it was so dry. The wicket on the last day today was not bad.”
COMPLACENT INDIA
He observed that the Indians also paid the price for taking things for granted. “We were too complacent, our spinners are the best in the world, (Ravichandran) Ashwin, (Ravindra) Jadeja, they are fantastic bowlers,” said Engineer.
The difference between the two sides proved to be the close-in catching with Australia’s Peter Handscomb pulling off stunning catches in the first innings to back his spinners while the home team fielders were guilty of dropping regulation catches. “We missed so many chances, the Australian close-in fielding reminded me of Eknath Solkar’s days. They were not taking catches, they were making catches, which put them in a strong position,” he said.