Coach Buchanan happy their plan worked well

Coach Buchanan happy their plan worked well
Express News Service

New Delhi, March 8: The Australians left Delhi for Kolkata this evening more than satisfied with their performance in the three-day game against the Board President’s XI which ended in a tame draw.

The batting performances of Mark Waugh (62 and 164) and Ricky Ponting (102 and 102 not out) was the icing on the cake as the visitors mentally prepared themselves for the crucial second Test starting in three days time.

By continuing to bat for the entire last day of the match instead of declaring their second innings to set a target for the home team, the Australians had made their point clear.

‘‘We came into this game with the sole purpose of giving our batsmen some practice. We have achieved that. Winning wasn’t our target,’’ said coach John Buchanan at the end of the match.

The 48-year-old coach, who succeeded Geoff Marsh in October 1999, said it was important for his team not to let Ganguly get a big score here. ‘‘Once the Indian skipper decided to play this game, we made sure to put additional pressure and deny him a big score,’’ he added. That was, perhaps, one of the reasons why the Australins did not enforce the follow-on as they didn’t want Ganguly to get another chance in the middle.

Was his team happy to get the Indian skipper out cheaply?

‘‘We didn’t have to do anything. He made our task easier by getting out himself,’’ he said with a chukkle, referring to the manner in which Ganguly threw his wicket away in the Board President XI’s only innings here.

‘‘Our team is making good progress. We are moving in the right direction. We’ll try to build pressure right from the first ball in the second Test at Kolkata and try to stamp our authority,’’ Buchanan said.

Buchanan, who has been part of the Australians’ record-winning streak in Tests and one-day internationals, said vice-captain Adam Gilchrist, who did not play in the three-day match here due to a hip strain, was recovering well and would be available for the Kolkata Test.

‘‘He had a few days off and there are still three days to go for the Test. I hope he would be 100 per cent fit by then,’’ he informed. Buchanan said: ‘‘New South wales keeper Brad Haddin, who was flown in from Australia to play the Delhi warm-up game, would accompany the team to Kolkata from where he will fly back home once Gilchrist starts playing.’’

Buchanan expressed surprise that Sarandeep was not bowled at all on the final day. ‘‘He would have gained more confidence by bowling and not by avoiding,’’ was all he could say. ‘‘Anyway, it was their decision,’’ he added.

He said he wasn’t ‘‘particularly worried’’ with the form of Justin Langer, who has struggled on this tour after scoring a century in the tour opener in Nagpur and hoped that the batsman would come good in Kolkata.

‘‘It would obviously have been better (if he had scored some more runs). But he spent some good time in the centre. He must enjoy the next couple of days,’’ Buchanan said.