Sport - Cricket

Kumble hails Indian team’s resilience

Galle: After a stirring triumph in the second Test, Anil Kumble hailed the side’s resilience — a quality that has contributed to India becoming one of the best touring sides in world cricket.

The 170-run victory means that India, since January 2006, has won series in England and the West Indies, and Tests in South Africa, Australia, and Sri Lanka.

“I was confident we would come back,” said the Indian captain, referring to the innings and 239 run defeat in the first Test.

“One look at the dressing room shows you how much potential this team has. This team has been through ups and downs, but there was no doubt that we would regroup and come back hard. This group has shown amazing resilience not just once but time and time again.”

Kumble said the opening partnership in both innings was crucial. “Viru (Sehwag) getting a double hundred and Gautam (Gambhir) getting us off to fantastic starts in both innings was very important. Also the way Harbhajan bowled in both innings and how Ishant and Zaheer bowled today was amazing.”

Ishant’s spell on Sunday earned high praise. “On this pitch to crank it up like that from a 19-year old was something special,” said Kumble. “To get three of the top order wickets and on a fourth-day wicket like this — everybody saw what he is capable of. There is quality in this team and it augurs really well going into the last Test.”

On Sehwag’s Man-of-the-Match winning efforts, Kumble said, “Getting 201 in a total of 329 is something amazing. Taking that forward into the second innings is never easy but he batted brilliantly and gave us another strong start.”

Asked if he was concerned about the middle-order, Kumble said,

“Everybody has got starts. Sachin (Tendulkar) was batting brilliantly in the second innings and Rahul (Dravid) also. Sourav (Ganguly) spent some time at the SSC but didn’t get the opportunity here. Otherwise Laxman has been in the runs so it’s not really a worry.”

He said the umpire referral system needed discussion — particularly cases pertaining to lbw decisions — after the Test series.

“It definitely requires a discussion,” said Kumble, after a Test that saw inconsistent interpretation when appeals for leg-before were referred.

“There are some areas which really help the umpires but there are some where it takes a long time and there is doubt (sic) whether someone looking at a TV can take a call,” said Kumble.

Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, said that inconsistency in the batting department had cost the side the second Test.

“I think it was a very good Test match,” said Jayawardene. “I am very happy with the performance of the guys except for the batting in that we were not consistent enough. In a Test match, you have got to be more consistent. That’s probably where we lost this match.”

Jayawardene said he felt for Ajantha Mendis, who despite claiming ten wickets in the match finished on the losing side. Did he anticipate the Indian batsmen’s positive approach against spin? “They did try to play a few shots,” said Jayawardene.

“Virender (Sehwag) is anyway going to play his natural game. The day it’s going to come off, it will come off. The days it won’t come off, it won’t come off. A few players did try to play a few shots — not all of them — but at the same time we managed to pick up wickets when they did that. That is a positive thing for us.”

Jayawardene admitted that Ishant Sharma offered the Indians a cutting edge Sri Lanka didn’t possess.

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