Sparks flew at the Eden Gardens yesterday as India pushed for what would have been a most dramatic come-from-behind Test victory
Sparks flew at the Eden Gardens yesterday as India pushed for what would have been a most dramatic come-from-behind Test victory. Aggressive posturing and words were directed at Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella for time-wasting with the Indians all over them in the final session. Of course, all that was quickly put behind them after bad light had ensured that the Test would end in a draw. Sri Lankan coach Nic Pothas actually thought it was a "fantastic" moment. "We would've done the same thing if we were in a similar situation. That's how the game is played; nobody wants to lose," said Indian opener KL Rahul. "These are tricks of the trade, and played by every team. There's nothing unfair about it. As a team trying to win, we were trying to push in as many overs as we could."
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India's KL Rahul plays a shot at Eden Gardens on Sunday. The Karnataka batsman got a duck and 79. Pic/PTI
It was fantastic: SL coach
Pothas actually quite enjoyed the exchange. "It's fantastic, isn't it!" the South African said. "It's Test match cricket, a tough environment, a cauldron and that's how players earn respect from each other." The Indians weren't crestfallen that victory eluded them, Rahul preferring to point out the positives. "We played really well to come back from where we were. It speaks volumes of how we have evolved," he reminded, and was happy to have been part of an exciting Test. On a wicket like this it would've been great if we had five days of cricket. These are the kind of matches you look forward to. I don't think I played a game like this, rain-curtailed but goes down to the wire," he gushed, and said five-six overs more could've made a difference. He praised the Lankan attack, pointing out that Lakmal's three wickets in the morning pegged back their plans.
'Lot of swing'
He pointed out that, "there's been something for pacers" on all five day. "Towards the end of yesterday, cracks opened up a bit more, so there was more seam movement. There was a lot of swing in the first two days because of the dampness and the conditions. "We beat the bat a lot (in the first innings) but the Sri Lankans were lucky as none of the edges went to hand. It would've been a completely different situation had they batted first but that's how it goes. "We enjoyed the challenge batting first and it was a good experience for us," he said. Rahul said he doesn't play for numbers but would love to score bigger innings. "I would've wanted to convert at least half of them into hundreds. It's disappointing as team looks to me to go for bigger scores," he remarked.
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