India will hit back, says Bhajji |
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Thursday March 27, 01:11 AM
Chennai, March 26: Harbhajan Singh said India would stage a strong comeback on Thursday after a disappointing opening day of the first Test in which they failed to put real pressure on the South African batsmen.
"It’s very important to bat first, especially on a track like Chepauk. It’s hard for our bowlers to operate with the same intensity on a flat wicket throughout the day. But there is no point in complaining about the pitch and we are aware that we have to get our act together," added the ace off-spinner, who claimed Neil McKenzie and Jacques Kallis on the day.
Bhajji said a couple of quick wickets on the morrow would put the visitors on the back foot. "We have a great chance to win the match and everybody is up for it. We have made a comeback after a poor start in the past and I don’t see why we can’t do it here.
"We will try our best to get them out below 400. It’s just a matter of bowling two good deliveries and if we manage that we can end their innings soon," said Harbhajan.
Harbhajan pointed out that India’s failure to cut the boundaries early on helped the SA openers grow in confidence. "They dominated us in the first session by scoring a lot of runs through boundaries.
"The heat took its toll on our fielders in the afternoon."
"I should say the South Africans batted well, but tomorrow will be a different story. Our focus will be on controlling the boundaries and making life difficult for them. I think five specialist bowlers would have helped us put more pressure on them," he explained.
Harbhajan was happy that he was able to send Kallis back. The South African walked without waiting for the umpire’s signal after offering a catch to the forward short leg.
"He is their key batsman. It was a big nick and it’s good that he walked. I was relieved because it’s very difficult to get him out," he added.
When asked whether the hype created by the forthcoming Indian Premier League was distracting the players, Harbhajan said his teammates were not thinking about the IPL at all.
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