"That's a bit of a harsh statement" - Abhishek Nayar on claims that India are no longer good players of spin bowling
Team India's assistant coach Abhishek Nayar reckons that it is too harsh to term the side's batters poor players of spin in the wake of their collapse against Mitchell Santner in the second Test in Pune. He, instead, credited the Kiwis for exploiting the conditions much better than the hosts.
Having gone down to New Zealand by eight wickets in the Bengaluru Test on a seaming surface, India succumbed to a 113-run loss in Pune as left-arm spinner Santner picked up 13 wickets. Courtesy of the twin triumphs, the Black Caps registered their maiden Test series win in India. The hosts will now be keen to avoid a whitewash in the third Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
At a press conference on Wednesday, October 30, Nayar reflected on India's poor batting effort in Pune and backed the players to do much better in Mumbai.
He said (as quoted by The Times of India):
"Well, I think firstly that's a bit of a harsh statement for anyone (on India no longer being good players of spin). I think credit goes to the New Zealand bowlers as they exploited the conditions well and they were very consistent."
The 41-year-old also opened up on India's much-debated aggressive philosophy under new coach Gautam Gambhir. Admitting that the approach could backfire at times, the former all-rounder asserted that the mindset is all about sticking to the process and the belief systems. Nayar said:
"I feel that when we talk about playing aggressive cricket when you talk about having aggressive intent, there are going to be times when it may not work out for you. And I think Gauti (head coach Gautam Gambhir) has said this before, at times when you get games like Bangladesh, where we go in and get the fastest 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, there are going to be days when it doesn't look as good and, you know, fruitful."
"But I think sometimes it's about sticking to the process and the belief systems when you're trying to achieve something. I've always believed as a team or as an individual, there's always going to be a time when you take a certain dip because you're trying to play cricket differently and you're trying to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Sometimes the results don't go your way," Nayar added.
Before the losses to New Zealand, India hammered Bangladesh by seven wickets in Kanpur despite two full days of play being lost to rain and weather conditions.
Nayar hints that Jasprit Bumrah might play in Mumbai
There have been some reports doing the rounds that Team India's lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah might be rested for the Mumbai Test, keeping his workload in Mumbai.
However, speaking at the press conference, Nayar hinted that the right-arm pacer is likely to be part of the playing XI in Mumbai, saying:
"He (Bumrah) has not bowled a lot. He has got ample rest. He is very important to us and workload is always in our mind... In the morning, there will be swing and seam. At Wankhede, you'll have pacers with a smile on their face."
Bumrah picked up three wickets in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru but went wicketless in the second Test in Pune.