Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Dhoni lauds bowlers following Motera win

Last updated on: November 19, 2012 19:24 IST
MS Dhoni

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni credited his bowlers for the team's nine-wicket victory over England in the opening Test in Ahmedabad, on Monday, saying the spinners put in a lot of hard work on a wicket that did not offer much turn.

- Motera Test: India thrash England, go 1-0 up

- Scorecard

After India scored 521-8 declared in the first innings, it was the bowlers, especially the spinners, who set the stage for the team as they dismissed the English twice.

"There was something in the wicket to start with, but as the game progressed there was low bounce but not much turn. It was hard work for the spinners. They bowled 70-80 overs, even fast bowlers bowled over 40 overs. So it was a fantastic effort from them," Dhoni said.

"Even if you misjudged the flight you had time to adjust and not much carried to the slips. So it was important to bowl at the right areas and was also important not to give many runs. Ojha bowled a tight line and took extra responsibility."

'Pujara has the temperament to play a big innings'

Last updated on: November 19, 2012 19:24 IST
Cheteshwar Pujara

India's skipper also had good things to say about man-of-the-match Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored an unbeaten double ton in the first innings and was not out at 41 in the second.

"It was a fantastic game for Pujara. He has the temperament to play big innings and has shown that on the domestic circuit. He makes sure he converts fifties to hundreds. Overall, it was a fantastic effort by the team," he said.

Dismissed for 191 in their first innings, England put up a commendable performance in their second essay, scoring 406 after following-on.

India then overhauled the 77-run winning target, scoring 80 for one in 15.3 overs, to go one up in the four-match series.

Pujara conceded that the wicket was easy to bat on.

"The ball was coming nicely onto the bat. There was turn, but it was slow. As a team, we knew we had to put up 500-plus and I had to hang around to play my role.

"In the second innings the ball was hard and I had a lot of confidence. I was out for almost a year and since I'm back I'm enjoying it."

'There was always a glimmer of hope; it had to be something special'

Last updated on: November 19, 2012 19:24 IST
Alastair Cook

England skipper Alastair Cook, who starred with an epic 176-run knock in the second innings, lauded the fighting spirit of his team and vowed to come back stronger in the second Test in Mumbai.

"We can look at a number of reasons why we didn't win -- our first innings was not good enough. But it was a great fight back in the second innings. We were in a tough situation and there was always a glimmer of hope, it had to be something special," Cook said.

"It was a challen#8805 we knew me and (Matt) Prior needed to do majority of the work and there was inspiration at the beginning of the day. The guys showed a lot of character.

"We'll work hard going into Mumbai. We need runs in the first innings; they are crucial in the sub-continent, and we need to keep working as hard as we can and play close to our potential," he added.

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.