Pitches did not break up as much as expected: Smith
11 Jan 2015 1:15 AM GMT
Australia skipper Steven Smith on Saturday said that the pitches did not “break up quite as much as expected” during the four-match cricket Test series against India and it hampered the home side’s chances of winning by a bigger margin.
“It has been tough to get 20 wickets in this Test series. The wickets haven’t broken up quite as much as we thought they might. I don’t know the reasons for that. But it’s been tough and the bowlers have toiled extremely hard throughout these four Test matches. I am really proud of the way they’ve gone throughout these games,” Smith said at the post-match press conference.
Chasing a stiff target of 349 for victory, India suffered a dramatic collapse in the post tea session but somehow managed to eke out a draw by finishing on 252 for seven in 89.5 overs on an absorbing fifth day’s play of the fourth Test here at the SGC on Saturday.
Expressing disappointment over his side not being able to bowl out India on a fifth day track, Smith said: “It would have been nice to get the win on Saturday. I thought 90 overs with them having a little go at us would be a good chance to win this game but it wasn’t to be. I think the wicket didn’t break up quite as much as I thought it would. There wasn’t much up and down movement with balls on the stumps.
“It has been tough to get 20 wickets in this Test series. The wickets haven’t broken up quite as much as we thought they might. I don’t know the reasons for that. But it’s been tough and the bowlers have toiled extremely hard throughout these four Test matches. I am really proud of the way they’ve gone throughout these games,” Smith said at the post-match press conference.
Chasing a stiff target of 349 for victory, India suffered a dramatic collapse in the post tea session but somehow managed to eke out a draw by finishing on 252 for seven in 89.5 overs on an absorbing fifth day’s play of the fourth Test here at the SGC on Saturday.
Expressing disappointment over his side not being able to bowl out India on a fifth day track, Smith said: “It would have been nice to get the win on Saturday. I thought 90 overs with them having a little go at us would be a good chance to win this game but it wasn’t to be. I think the wicket didn’t break up quite as much as I thought it would. There wasn’t much up and down movement with balls on the stumps.
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