It’s about conquering mind as India trail by 134 runs

Ranchi, February 24

India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey today said the pitch at the JSCA Sports Complex was not a rank turner but they did not expect it to play so slow on the second day itself.

The hosts were reeling at 219/7 at the end of Day 2 with England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir grabbing a brilliant 4/84 in his second Test.

“Considering the nature of the games we’ve had previously here, the wicket tends to get slower as the day progresses,” Mhambrey said. “Historically, they slow down and play on the lower side. We expected that, but honestly, we didn’t anticipate it playing so low on the second day itself. The variable bounce was unexpected. As of now, I wouldn’t call it as a rank-turner; it’s just that the bounce is low, making batting a bit challenging. I don’t think there were too many balls that spun sharply or were unplayable.”

‘Have to be mentally ready’

With India set to bat last, Mhambrey hoped the duo of Dhurv Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav will be able to reduce the deficit as India trail by 134 runs.

“We have two set batters at the crease, who have applied themselves well and put on 40-odd runs together. The important thing is to get as close to their score. That’s the first step, and then we’ll assess tomorrow how close we can get the target (England’s first-innings score),” he said.

“Regardless of the number, mentally we need to prepare to chase. We need to bat well in the second innings, starting with this partnership. We need to bat better,” he added. — PTI

Bazball not about being arrogant, says Root

Ranchi: Senior England batter Joe Root today said that his side’s Bazball approach in Test cricket is not about being arrogant but about getting the best result for the team.

England’s record 434-run loss to India in the third Test in Rajkot led to widespread criticism about their ultra-aggressive approach they have adopted under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.

“There have been times recently when the best way to do that is by being a bit more aggressive. It’s like if I connect with that shot and execute it better, (Jasprit) Bumrah will be under pressure and our outlook on the game is very different again. It’s not about being arrogant… Bazball is a word that’s used a lot but that’s your word, that’s not how we look at it,” Root said.