3rd Test: Too harsh to term aggressive tactics a failure, will continue with the approach, says assistant coach Nayar

Mumbai: Indian batter may have succumbed to the guiles of New Zealand left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, who claimed 13 wickets for 157 runs in the second Test of the series at Pune but India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said saying that the Indian batters have forgotten the art of playing spin bowling is “very harsh”.

Nayar said that the team will continue to bat aggressively in the third Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium despite losing the first two Tests rather comprehensively while following the same tactics.

For decades, India have exploited the spin-friendly home conditions to catch the visiting teams in a spin-web and become unbeatable at home. But in the last few years, the Indian batters too have found batting on the spin-minefields trough to handle.

In the second Test of the 2024 series against New Zealand, the Indian batters fell in the spin trap with left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner claiming 13 wickets in all to trigger twin collapses leading to a 113-run victory at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium last week. Santner claimed 7-53 and 6-104 as India were bowled out for 156 and 245 in two innings.

However, Nayar said the batters were not falling into the spin trap and will continue to play with aggressive intent in the third Test starting at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.

“Well, I think firstly that’s a bit of a harsh statement for anyone. I think credit to New Zealand bowlers as they exploited the conditions well and they were very consistent,” said Nayar in a press conference two days ahead of the third Test at the Wankhede Stadium.

India have adopted an aggressive approach under new head coach Gautam Gambhir and the tactics came good in the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur in which the hosts scored briskly to win the match despite losing more than two days to inclement weather.

The former Mumbai player and assistant coach at reigning IPL champion Kolkata Knight Riders said playing aggressively does not mean swinging the bat at every ball but rather being aggressive in intent. He also said that the tactics would at times not work and lead to situations like that in the first two Tests against New Zealand.

“I feel that when we talk about playing aggressive cricket when you talk about having aggressive intent, there going to be times when it may not work out for you. And I think Gauti (head coach Gautam Gambhir) has said this before, at times when you get games like Bangladesh, where we go in and get the fastest 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, there are going to be days when it doesn’t look as good and, you know, fruitful.

“But I think sometimes it’s about sticking to the process and the belief systems when you’re trying to achieve something. I’ve always believed as a team or as an individual, there’s always going to be a time when you take a certain dip because you’re trying to play cricket differently and you’re trying to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Sometimes the results don’t go your way. But I always believe if you’re patient enough and when that upward curve hits the team and hits an individual, then your purple patch lasts for really long,” said Nayar, claiming that the team is not much impacted by the twin setbacks in Bengaluru and Pune and the mood was upbeat going into the Mumbai Test.

“So, we are hoping that the transition that we’re trying to have in terms of the mindset and the approach of the players and team India that we’re facing will end soon. Once we start to hit the upward curve, it will be a long period,” said Nayar.

Asked whether despite struggling against spin bowling in the second Test, will India opt for another turning track in the third Test, Nayar said they are not thinking about that and will try to perform their pitch on whatever pitch is provided to them.

“Firstly, I wish we could curate pitches but we don’t. The curators do and I think whatever we are provided with, we go on and play. Whether that be a pitch that seams or a pitch that turns, I think as cricketers and as a team we try and play what you’re provided. We don’t try and get conditions according to what we want. But on the other part of it, I’ve seen nothing but love for them all over,” he said.

“And like I said, in tough conditions, there are going to be times when you don’t look great from the outside. But as long as the team and as long as the players know what they’re trying to do, these things happen. It’s part of cricket. Is it worth it? Well, I think the only way we look at it is how we can get out of it. That’s our purpose, that’s our mindset. I thought in the second innings, we did a lot better, we could get those runs. We Put up a fight. So we just want to go strength to strength and try to focus on how we can go forward rather than, you know, overthink and overanalyze what hasn’t happened for us,” said Nayar who said the players were bullish, enjoying their time together, cracking jokes and working to get better by following the process.

–IANS