Smith taunts India over pitch
THE PITCH WASN’T A MINEFIELD, BUT THE PRODIGIOUS TURN IT OFFERED SEEMED TO BACKFIRE ON THE HOSTS’ PLANS
PUNE: Triumphant after brushing aside India inside three days, Australia skipper Steve Smith took a dig at the turning pitch prepared for the first Test, saying it suited the visitors perfectly.
“It was certainly a wicket that would more likely suit the Indian players. I think it evened up the contest a lot more,” Smith said after handing India a 333run defeat.
“We saw the way our spinners bowled on that, they were able to generate some good spin and good natural variation out of the wicket.
“So, it was up to them to prepare a wicket, and they prepared a wicket that actually played into our hands. It would be interesting to see what they come up with in Bangalore,” Smith told the media.
Spinners Steve O’keefe (12) and Nathan Lyon (5) shared 17 wickets as India lasted a measly 74 overs both innings put together. The hosts were dismissed for 105 in 40.1 overs in the first innings and for 107 in 33.5 overs in the second innings.
Making a joke out of curator Pandurag Salgaoncar’s prediction that the ball will “fly” past the batsmen, spinners took 38 of the 40 wickets that fell in the Test. The pitch wasn’t a minefield, but the prodigious turn it offered seemed to backfire on the hosts’ plans of dishing out surfaces to suit Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Statistically, everything was against Australia, be it their infamous streak in this part of the world, their history in India or the whitewash they suffered the last time they toured here in 2013.
However, Smith has ensured the monkey was off the back.
“Coming to India, we haven’t won a game here in 4,502 days. So, it has been an incredibly long time,” he said.
“I think it was fortunate, Day One, win the toss and post 260 on that wicket was very good. And then our bowlers went to work,” he added.
“I thought SOK (Steve O’keefe) was absolutely amazing to consistently land the ball in good areas and get the natural variation. It was well supported by Nathan Lyon and the two fast bowlers as well.”
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 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.”
FOCUS ON 2ND TEST
“We were humiliated and this is not (what) we expected after great performances against England and New Zealand,” he said. The pressure will now be on India in the next Test at Bengaluru and Engineer advised “firstly a wicket like this is not prepared”.