Pune defeat history, India need to look ahead: Anil Kumble
BENGALURU (Reuters) - India coach Anil Kumble urged his team to move on from the debacle in the opening test against Australia as the hosts seek a series-levelling victory in the second match starting on Saturday.
On a raging turner in Pune, Australia triumphed by 333 runs inside three days, snapping India's 19-test unbeaten run stretching back to their tour to Sri Lanka in 2015.
While Virat Kohli's men won in Sri Lanka and West Indies, they also vanquished South Africa, New Zealand, England and Bangladesh for six straight series victories.
"You can't keep winning every game. It has to come to an end at some point of time," Kumble, 46, told reporters on Thursday.
"Twenty games in current scenario of test cricket, it's quite challenging for an international side to keep going out there and winning. That's what this team has been able to do across conditions.
"We have adapted to various conditions and various situations and that's what we didn't do in the last game. That's why the result didn't go our way."
The former spinner, also India's highest wicket-taker in tests, said Pune was just a blip in an otherwise bumper home season.
"I don't want to look back. We are here to look ahead. As a coach it's more important for me to look ahead," said Kumble, who took over the coaching reins last year.
"It was one of those games where things didn't go our way and we just need to move on. Another three test matches in the series and we are really looking forward to that.
"We have had a fantastic home season and it's just one of those games where things didn't go our way."
Kumble said Australia were a quality opposition but India did not play to their potential.
Asked about the nature of pitch to be used for the second test, the Bengaluru native said: "It's generally been a good batting surface and I'm sure it's going to be a result wicket.
"That's exactly what we want in a test match."
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)