Paras Mhambrey. (Photo by Jan Kruger-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Day 1 of the World Test Championship final saw the Indian team win the toss and opt to bowl first against Pat Cummins-led Australia. After a few early breakthroughs, India was subjected to lethal knocks hammering by Travis Head and Steve Smith which put the Aussies in a commanding position.
Having lost three wickets for just 76 runs, Smith and Head counterattacked the bowling lineup of India, and after the end of day 1, Smith was unbeaten on 95 runs in 227 balls whereas Head sits at 146* runs in 156 balls. Seeing the subpar performance from the Indian bowlers, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey came forward to opine that the bowlers lacked discipline and that they conceded more than they preferred.
“In terms of the bowling, we could have been a little more disciplined. We started off very well. In the first 12–13 overs, we bowled in the right areas. But maybe after that, we kind of weren’t disciplined with our bowling. We conceded a little more than we would have preferred,” Paras Mhambrey was quoted as saying by India Today.
“The pitch did little bit in the morning. It seamed around a bit in the first hour. As the day progressed, the pitch got a little flatter than what we expected it would be,” he added.
Tomorrow morning is very important for us: Mhambrey
Furthermore, despite India being in a spot of bother, Mhambrey was positive as day 2 of the WTC final approaches. He also opined that the early stages of day 2 could be crucial for India, as they would be keen on picking up some early wickets.
“Why not? (Can India bounce back?) I thought conditions and the pitch got better. We took the second new ball, and there was some seam and movement of the pitch after that. Tomorrow morning is very important for us. If we pick up one or two early wickets, we definitely have the opportunity to come back into the contest,” Mhambrey concluded.