Pakistan's 224 in first innings was decisive: Ganguly
By Our Sports Reporter
RAWALPINDI, April 16: Bowling out Pakistan for a low 224 in the first innings was the main reason for Indians winning the Test and with it the series, captain Saurav Ganguly told a news conference on Friday.
"All the boys played their part in victory and I am happy that we have achieved what we had set out to get. It is a fantastic feeling, I will say it is the result of much improved overseas performance in the last couple of years. It all started in the West Indies in 2002 and it has come to this."
Ganguly, who became the most successful Indian captain with 15 Test wins, said that he felt good to have achieved the distinction. "When I took over the captaincy four years ago, the team was very new at that time and players like Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag were starting their careers but today they have become match-winners.
"Our bowling also has been very encouraging and Pathan and Balaji have been brilliant; Nehra has bowled well too." Meanwhile, Inzamamul Haq, the Pakistan captain, termed "too many changes in bowling" as the reason for defeat.
"I had no choice but to play some bowlers who were not 100 per cent fit," he said in an obvious reference to paceman Mohammad Sami who was included in the team despite struggling with a back problem. "Still our bowlers could have done much better than what they did. On a wicket like this they should not have allowed India to make 600 runs."
He felt that Umar Gul was badly missed. "If you look at it carefully, he was the only bowler for us who was really good." But bowling apart, Inzamam admitted his batsmen could have played with more responsibility.
Inzamam also took a swipe at team trainer Tauseef Razzak, who resigned on Thursday after a row with the skipper. "The media criticised my bowlers for giving too many extras in the one-dayers. So where can I correct that mistake, obviously at the nets and not in the bedroom."
