Eden Test a lesson for India: Kaif
DHARAMSALA:INDIA’S desperation to get some crucial preparation ahead of the South Africa tour was visible with grass-laden pitches in the just-concluded Test series against Sri Lanka.
Mohammed Kaif, a veteran of 13 Tests and 125 ODIS, is happy that pacers eclipsed R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja against Sri Lanka but added that the team’s learning process is still on.
“We hardly play on pitches like that (in Kolkata). We don’t know tempo of the game (in such conditions). We always see Ashwin and Jadeja operating from both ends and winning Tests for India. But now we are going abroad, we will get conditions like that in Kolkata,” Kaif told Hindustan Times.
“I am happy that India are playing in pitches at home which assists pacers. In Kolkata, we never took the name of Ashwin and Jadeja, though both of them were in the XI. It is good that Kohli wants to challenge his team with pace-friendly conditions.”
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was the ‘Player of the match’ in Kolkata, had also conceded that Indian bowlers were ‘impatient’ in the first innings. For Kaif, the positive sign is that Indian pacers learnt from their mistakes. “Tests are all about learning from mistakes, and that too in every session. Bhuvneshwar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami could do that, which should be appreciated,” Kaif said.
In a rarity, pacers took more wickets spinners in the Sri Lanka series. The fast bowling quartet Bhuvneshwar, Shami, Ishant Sharma and Yadav took 30 wickets. Ashwin and Jadeja shared 22. However, while the spinners played in all three Tests, none of the pacers played in more than two.
The confidence that pacers got against Sri Lanka will help in South Africa too. “Ashwin and Jadeja’s role will be lesser overseas. But the current pacers have shown the potential to take 20 wickets,” Kaif said.
The hero of India’s 2002 Natwest Series win in England added that road for Ashwin and Jadeja will get even tougher. “In limited overs, the selectors are looking for spinners who can give breakthroughs. I think they are going to persist with Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in South Africa too,” he said.
Kaif also appreciated the role of Virat Kohli in deciding to go for green pitches against Sri Lanka. “Virat Kohli wants to be leader. The good thing is that he is not thinking about winning or losing. For him the preparation for South Africa was more important,” he said.