Sport - Cricket

‘Bowlers did their best’

Chennai: Indian captain Anil Kumble defended his bowlers, after an unimpressive performance saw the first Test end in a draw. “I think the bowlers did the best they could possibly on this pitch. You should also give credit to the way South Africa batted.

“We did exceptionally well to get a sizeable lead after chasing 540. The way Sehwag batted was a treat to watch. It will be remembered for his knock and Rahul’s 10,000 runs.”

On his prolonged absence from the field, he said, “I had a slight niggle while I was bowling. I didn’t want to take a chance.”

Kumble said that lack of preparation time might have affected the pitch. “Because of the rain they may not have had enough time to prepare the pitch.”

Virender Sehwag’s innings and Rahul Dravid’s record, he said, would remain in memory for a long time. “Viru’s was something special, the best I’ve ever seen. The range of strokes and the pace at which Viru played was amazing.

“Rahul has been a fantastic batsman right through his career. The milestone is something special. I am privileged to have seen each and every run he has scored.”

Ishant Sharma, he said, was looking good. “He is progressing well, but there’re still a couple of days before we take a final call on him.”

Coach Gary Kirsten was of the view that the next two Tests would be different. “The next two Tests are going to be competitive and there is going to come a time in the next two matches that one of the sides is going to take the initiative.

“We certainly were very close to doing that, certainly on day four. If we had come out and taken a 200-run lead we could have put them under pressure.”

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