After the first Test, we were left with mixed feelings. In many ways, it was an important period for us, as the beginning of any tour is. When we came into this series, we were frequently asked if winning was a realistic aim, given that we had never won a Test on Indian soil. The manner in which we batted, and generally conducted ourselves in the first three days, showed that we're not weighed down by history, and actually have the personnel in this group to do things differently.
That said, there is immediate room for improvement. We have been a consistent team over the past few months, and to win in India we will have to reflect that. There were passages of play in which our bowling was not as tight as it could have been, and certainly we have fielded better than we did in Ahmedabad.
There has been plenty of talk about the pitch and I have got to say it played just as we expected over the first three days. What no one quite bargained for was the fact that it simply did not deteriorate at all over the last couple of days. At least on the fifth day, with the sun having baked the wicket out, you expect something for the spinners, but that was not to be.
Moving to Kanpur we hope the surface will be one that gives the bowlers something to work with. I had a good look at the pitch this morning after our practice session, and it does look different from Ahmedabad. There is a light covering of grass on the surface and whether that remains or not, this looks like it should make for more interesting cricket. At the end of the day what everyone wants is a surface that gives the two teams a chance of forcing a result.
{{/usCountry}}Moving to Kanpur we hope the surface will be one that gives the bowlers something to work with. I had a good look at the pitch this morning after our practice session, and it does look different from Ahmedabad. There is a light covering of grass on the surface and whether that remains or not, this looks like it should make for more interesting cricket. At the end of the day what everyone wants is a surface that gives the two teams a chance of forcing a result.
{{/usCountry}}On a slightly personal note, I must say that I was quite humbled after reading Sunil Gavaskar's column on Sunday where he said that I have not been recognised quite as much as I should have. It means a lot when someone like Gavaskar has a good word for you. But I must say that there has been plenty of acknowledgment of the work I have done for the team and the game back home in Sri Lanka. I'm really not someone who chases the limelight or the plaudits and am happy with the recognition I have got. At the end of the day, it is about doing what you can to help your team win, and in that sense the work has just begun on this tour.
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