Team India's batting coach Sanjay Bangar would've come to the media conference ready with answers to the obvious questions. "Conditions were pretty tough for batting and what didn't really help was that we didn't get an extended passage for play. It didn't allow the batsman to get into a rhythm," he began after the opening day's play of the first Test saw the hosts reeling at 17 for 3. "[Also] it was similar to a day-night Test. Often under such circumstances, picking the red ball becomes pretty tough," he added.
India opener Shikhar Dhawan is bowled out by Sri Lankan pacer Suranga Lakmal for eight on the opening day of the first Test at Eden Gardens in Kolkata yesterday. Pics/PTI
He went on to justify Shikhar Dhawan's attempt at a full-blooded drive that brought about the southpaw's downfall and looked out of place under the circumstances. "He's a strokeplayer, and backs himself to play shots. He can change the course of a match in matter of 15 overs," Bangar said, adding: "You want a player like Shikhar to play in his own fashion. Every batsman has his style and we don't want to curtail that."
Virat Kohli reacts after being trapped leg before wicket by Lakmal for 0
On going into a Test on a grassy pitch with just five specialist batsmen, Bangar was quick to point to the, "quality of all-rounders that we have" in Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Wriddhiman Saha. He said: "They lend a lot of depth to the lower order, even as the bowling options are there to get 20 wickets. That has worked well over two-and-a-half seasons. We have won nearly 20 Test matches because of that composition."
Lakmal draws first blood as India opener KL Rahul is stunned
Bangar, who played for India on the 2002 tour of England, said: "We need to respect the conditions as a batsman and just focus on the next ball, and not think about the amount of times you've been beaten. "You many not get to play beautiful shots, but the runs are important." On the lively pitch, he echoed what skipper Virat Kohli had said on Wednesday. "We like to challenge ourselves. We want to continue to improve as a team. When we last played a Test here, against New Zealand, the conditions were similar. We played that Test really well."
As expected, Bangar was less than effusive in his praise for Suranga Lakmal, who finished with figures of 4.2-4-0-3. "Credit to him for putting the ball in the right places letting the wicket do the rest," he said.
The battle's still on.
SIX The number of times an Indian batsman has been dismissed on the first ball of a Test match, including KL Rahul at Eden Gardens yesterday
