Lauding his bowlers following the team’s 2-0 Test series victory, skipper MS Dhoni appreciated the bowling attack’s tendency to hunt in a pack and complement each other’s performances, going on to praise the effectiveness of the spinners in particular.
“The New Zealanders got a bit more purchase from the wicket but our spinners were brilliant,” he said. “They hunted in pack and that has been the case since past few series.
“It seemed as if we were not playing in Bangalore but in Napier,” Dhoni went on to observe. “Ashwin and Ojha combined well and they were ably supported by Zaheer and Umesh. There was something for the bowlers in the pitch.”
New Zealand’s bowling attack, during the recently concluded two-match Test series, relied heavily on pace, with Trent Boult and Tim Southee emerging as the key bowlers, while off-spinner Jeetan Patel also chipped in.
However, India went heavy on the spin, with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (who claimed a total of 18 scalps during the series) and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (13 wickets during the series) teaming up to dominate the attack. Pacers Zaheer Khan (3 scalps throughout the series) and Umesh Yadav (5 wickets), on the other hand, were not as effective.
The first match, which India won by an innings and 115 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad, saw Ashwin winning the Player of the Match award, after claiming a devastating and economical 6 for 31 (with an economy rate of 1.87) during the first innings, and following that up with 6 for 54 during the second innings. He was joined in the attack by Ojha, who claimed 3 for 44, and 3 for 48.
The spinners continued to prove the bane of the Kiwi batsmen during the second Test, which India won by 5 wickets to seal the series. The combined spin effort featured a 5 for 99 by Ojha during New Zealand’s first turn at bat, while Ashwin rounded off the attack with a 5 for 69 during the second innings.
Adjudged Player of the Series, Ashwin commented on his association with Ojha, in addition to appreciating the left-armer’s performances.
“We share a long association,” the 25-year-old said. “We have been together for around 16-17 years and Ojha really, he compliments me well.”
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