Bhuvneshwar: Trent Bridge like an Indian pitch

Cricket365
July 11, 2014

Aspiring all-rounder Bhuvneshwar Kumar is not expecting a major change in the condition of the pitch, come day three of India's first Test against England at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Friday.

A record 111-run alliance for the 10th wicket between Kumar and tail-ender Mohammed Shami pushed India to a large total of 457 all out on Thursday, with the English later reduced to 43 for one in the wake of captain Alastair Cook's early departure.

Resuming on 259 for four, the Indians boasted high hopes of posting a hefty first-innings score – and perhaps only batting once in this vital series opener. A dramatic collapse, however, witnessed five wickets for the addition of 42 runs. From the promise of 304 for four, the tourists had slipped to 346 for nine. Shami and Kumar, however, refused to go down without a fight.

Surpassing the 109 gathered by 1952 duo Hemu Adhikari and Ghulam Ahmed against Pakistan in Delhi, but falling short of the 133 amassed by the veteran Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan versus Bangladesh in Dhaka a decade ago, Shami and Kumar settled for the country's second-highest last-wicket combination in Test match cricket.

"I don't think England bowled badly. They put enough pressure on us, tried different things and set up different fielding positions. It is the pitch, you need to do different things when it behaves like this," said Kumar.

"If last wicket yields a 100-plus partnership then the bowlers will get tired and frustrated. So they were doing their bit and we were doing ours. We cannot do much about the pitch except be patient.

"We need to keep bowling wicket to wicket as it is more like an Indian pitch. We have enough experience of playing at home so we know what we need to do. "The pitch might not change too much but it might take some turn later on. We are confident of bowling England out and because we have to do that in order to win this match."

Opener Sam Robson and the left-handed Gary Ballance will resume on 20 not out and 15 not out respectively on Friday.