India vs Australia | There should have been a specialist spinner, admits Mohammed Shami

With 175 runs more to chase on the fifth-day Test wicket and half the team back in the pavilion, the task has been cut out for India in second Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tomorrow at Perth. For India, the least experienced but the last recognised batting pair of Hanuma Vihari(24) and Rishabh Pant(9) would resume batting for India from the score of 112/5.

For the hosts Australia, Nathan Lyon once again came good and got two wickets in the form of Virat Kohli and Murali Vijay. In the first innings, Lyon had got a fifer to his name on a wicket that was predominantly expected to assist the pace bowlers. And Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, who picked career best of 6/56, felt that it was unwise for India to come into the match without a single specialist spinner whatsoever.

“The team management makes these decisions. We can’t do anything about it. We had one spinner who didn’t bowl badly. (But) If you ask me, I feel there should have been a spinner, but these things depend on your management,” said Shami.

After managing a lead of 43 runs in the first innings, Australia made 243 runs in the second innings to set India a target of 287 runs. With the odds looking stacked against the visitors, Shami stated that winning and losing are part and parcel of the game and what matters is the effort and fight shown by the team

“It is part of the game. Winning and losing happen. We will just look forward. “You can see first two days the wicket was very good. But the third day it was going a little up and down, and there was uneven bounce as well. And the ball is keeping low at times as well. But it is like a normal Perth wicket and that’s how it has played so far. It is in everybody’s minds that on days 3 and 4 there will be some up and down and we are getting to see this so far,” he said.

Today’s play at the Optus Stadium also saw a tussle between the captains of both the teams. Eventually, the umpire intervened but the banter went on, even though on a lighter mode. On those events, Shami opined that it was nothing serious and these things are needed to make a match interesting for the audience but one should remember to not to get personal.

“We cannot say much about it. It is part of the game, but nothing too serious. When you play Test cricket it is a long match and you have a long time so a little bit aggression is there and sometimes you react on the moment. We don’t need to mind these things too much. It is part of the game. If these things don’t happen in the match then I think the match won’t be interesting either.”

“I have said earlier too that this is a part of the game and we don’t take it personally. If there is no sledging, you won’t enjoy the game and the public won’t enjoy the game. If there is aggression, the match becomes more interesting. It is part of the game as it should be,” he said.