It was a bit dry when we arrived here on the first day, and when we checked the stats of the local games, we found that spinners dominated those games. We felt as the game went on it was going to be difficult to play and another thing was how we were using the wicket. They batted, we batted too and there were situations where teams could have played longer, which we did. That created a base for the bowlers who were able to prove themselves later on. The way Ashwin and Jadeja came out and played is commendable, he said.

Talking about the clinical game, the bowling coach said both the batters and bowlers executed their plans to perfection.

A perfect start to a Test match – you want to carry over the score from the last Test match or Test series. Honestly, if you ask me, I didn’t think it would be that easy. Yes, if you look at the pitch it was difficult and as the day progressed it started to turn around, it was dry at the start of the day but the way we applied the bat and bowling made me very happy, he said.

The bowling coach also praised the performance of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, calling his batting amazing. Yashasvi Jaiswal looked set to take his Test debut to a double hundred, so diligent and controlled was he on a pitch that was by no means a featherbed. Neither pace nor spin deterred him, and it seemed that only a batting error or loss of patience could be his undoing. A young man starting his career in the TestsThe t