Mark Taylor blasts wicket after test defeat

14 October 1996


NEW DELHI, Sunday - Australian captain Mark Taylor lashed out at the uneven Kotla wicket after his team's seven-wicket defeat to India in the one-off cricket test here on Sunday.

``It was a disappointing wicket,'' said Taylor, as Australia crumbled for 182 and 234 against the Indian spinners.

``I have played 70-odd tests in my career, but never seen such a wicket where the ball was grounded most of the time,'' he said.

His Indian counterpart Sachin Tendulkar, celebrating a win in his first test as captain, said his side was hungry for further success.

``One win is not enough,'' the 23-year-old said. ``The boys are in an aggressive mood.

``We have made the entire country happy by this victory, and I am confident we will continue winning from here.''

Taylor and Tendulkar conceded Indian wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia's monumental 152 in the first innings dictated the course of the match.

``Mongia was superb,'' Taylor said. ``He showed that the wicket demanded more patience.

``I think we lost the game on the first day itself when we were bowled out for 182.''

Tendulkar said it was ``the most important innings'' of Mongia's career.

``He proved himself with the new ball,'' he said, defending his decision to have the wicket-keeper open the innings.

``One should be prepared to do anything in international cricket.''

Tendulkar said he was now looking forward to doing well in the one-day series against Australia and South Africa which starts on Thursday.

``I am not worried about my form just because I got out cheaply in both innings,'' he said.

``There's a lot of cricket left this season and I should be among the runs soon.''

Taylor expectedly rued the absence of star spinner Shane Warne and the fact that Australia were underprepared for the test match.

``If Shane had been there we would have had the best spinner in the world. We were unlucky on that count.

``But I don't think we were ready for this test because there have been only one-dayers since March. There was not enough practice of the longer game, '' Taylor said.


Source: The Daily News

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Date-stamped : 25 Feb1998 - 14:51