IND vs AUS 2022-23, 4th Test: Bowling coach Paras Mhambrey defends India's decision to rotate pacers

Although India's choice to rotate its pacers throughout the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which is dominated by spinners, has drawn criticism, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey argued on Thursday that the approach would ultimately be to the speedster's advantage.

Also read: IND vs AUS 2022-23, 4th Test: Usman Khawaja's maiden ton in India puts Australia on top on Day 1; fans applaud

Australia finished the opening day of the 4th Test in Ahmedabad against India at 255 for 4, with Usman Khawaja scoring his 14th Test hundred. While Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj played the first two Tests, Umesh Yadav got a home Test after a long time in Indore at the expense of Shami, who was rested from the game.

For the final Test, Shami is back in the playing XI while Siraj has been rested, giving Umesh a rare back-to-back appearance in a home series.

"You have to take a call as you also have to look at the individual workload of each bowlers," Mhambrey said when asked if pacers' rhythm gets affected due to this break in game time. 

"I think the way we looked at Shami, we needed to give him that break and it was an opportunity for us that someone like Siraj or Umesh also get a game. Looking ahead after this series, we have the World Championship (final) and we need to look at that as well. You have to at times, rotate bowlers and it is important for players as well," he outlined. 

Umesh, the best Indian bowler on view during the Australian first innings at Indore, conceded as many as 11 boundaries in his 0/58 in 15 overs, going at an economy rate of nearly 4 runs per over. 

"Ideally, you want a bowler to have two or three games consecutively but in these conditions, it might not happen. He (Umesh) looked in great rhythm in Indore in that spell that he bowled and he picked three quick wickets and there are days when you land up don't getting a rhythm. May be that first spell that he bowled (to Travis Head) but later on he put the ball in right areas and was effective for us," Mhambrey said in his defence. 

'We leaked runs in last 10 overs'

Mhambrey termed the Motera track as a batting belter but expected that spinners would get some purchase off the track from the third day. "Looks like a batting track. We expected that having seen the wicket yesterday, unlike other three venues that we played at," said Mhambrey. 

The former India medium pacer felt that bowlers conceded extra runs in the last 10 overs. "First session, they batted well," he conceded. 

"Initially the runs that were leaked and second session was good for us but as the ball got old, run scoring became difficult and the last session became difficult. We conceded 56 in last 10 overs and I thought the game slightly drifted there from us. End of day, if it was 220 for 4, it would have been a good for us. Yes, we gave slightly more runs in last session," he added.

Mhambrey opined that the wicket would remain firm even on the second day. "No, I think as the game progress, may be third session tomorrow there could a little turn and you saw a couple of balls did turn but nothing compared to what you saw earlier. You may see little turn from third day, there will be little help for spinners." 

Also read: IND vs AUS 2022-23, 4th Test: Virat Kohli caught snacking during Day 1's play

Did India get timing of second new ball wrong?

India took the second new ball in the 81st over and Mhambrey himself said that on a slowish track, scoring runs off soft old SG Test wasn't an easy proposition. Shouldn't India have delayed taking the second new ball? 

"New ball came out of the bat better and made scoring runs easier but Rohit must have thought that nothing was happening on that wicket, so at least with spinners, new ball will go through nicely. Had we picked up a couple of wickets, we would have been talking differently. That's fine and that will happen," the bowling coach stated.

(With inputs from PTI)