By Qaiser Mohammad Ali, IANS
Kolkata : India vice-captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Monday that the spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh will have to use the bowlers’ rough to beat Pakistan on the final day of the second Test match here Tuesday.
“The spin is not really quick but if you can bowl in the rough it is turning and the bounce is not consistent. Some balls are turning more and some less. That’s a plus for us,” Dhoni said after the fourth day’s play at the Eden Gardens.
“Frankly speaking, we need only 10 balls to win the match now. So in a way five hours is too much time. We have to beat them in flight or with turn and bounce. This is a normal Indian wicket. It’s just a bit on the flatter and lower side,” said Dhoni, who was batting on 28 when the stumps were drawn.
India now have 301-run lead and Kumble will have to declare to give sufficient time to the bowlers to bowl out Pakistan a second time.
“It’s not about the total. To win this match you need 10 wickets. So the score is not that relevant. But to be on the safer side, on a wicket like this, you’d love to have fielders surrounding the bat,” said Dhoni.
“To have those extra couple of fielders close-in you need to have those extra runs. Then you can really attack and challenge the batsmen to play some shots on a fifth day wicket. That’s the motive for batting a bit more tomorrow.”
About the probably strategy Tuesday morning, Dhoni said that India will “bat a bit more”.
“Can’t say exactly how many runs we need. It’s not just a matter of runs. It depends on time as well. The wicket is responding a bit to spin,” he said.
“On the fourth and fifth days the game changes very quickly in India. It’s possible that wickets fall in a hurry and at times you don’t get a single wicket in a whole session. It’s uncertain.”
On the pitch, the wicket-keeper said: “It’s not breaking up, it’s powdery right now. If they bowl in the right areas it’s tough for batsmen. Wicket to wicket it’s not scuffed up, so the spinners will definitely have to use the rough.”
About his own innings towards the close of the fourth day, he said scoring quickly was difficult as Pakistani bowlers bowled in the rough.
“When they’re bowling in the rough you never know how much it’s going to turn or bounce and when the field is set defensively it’s tough to score quickly. The ball was also soft. It’s hard to go out there and look for fours and sixes,” he said.