November 27, 2007	Tuesday	Ziqa’ad 16, 1428

NEW DELHI, Nov 26: Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik conceded on Monday that his side fell 100 runs short of making India struggle for victory during the first Test at the Feroz Shah Kotla here.

Talking to reporters after India went 1-0 ahead in the three-match series, Malik said it was always tough defending a target of 203 because the Kotla pitch, he added, did not crumble on last two days of the match.

“We always felt that chasing 300 or more in the fourth innings would seriously dent India’s victory hopes. Because that sort of target would have allowed our bowlers to attack,” Malik said, adding, “In the end, 203 proved too easy for India to chase.”

The Pakistan captain maintained the cool weather also played a role in deciding the match because the pitch behaved consistently.

“If you have noticed, throughout the match, the sun never came out in full glory and cool winds helped the pitch bind throughout the match. Had there been sunshine and heat, it would have had an adverse affect on the pitch because then it would have started to crumble gradually,” he pointed out.

Malik was all praise for Shoaib Akhtar, who claimed six wickets in the Test, including all four Indian wickets in the second innings.

“Shoaib Akhtar had been outstanding in this Test and it has given us a lot of encouragement for the remaining Tests,” he expressed. “The way he bowled here should definitely give our team the confidence to go hard at the Indians in Kolkata.”

Malik’s Indian counterpart Anil Kumble, meanwhile, attributed the win to camaraderie in the home side.

“I won’t specifically pick out anyone. I think everyone contributed to a fine victory. Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman, all made the win possible.

“And all the bowlers were great. Zaheer Khan picked up important wickets at the time when we needed them most. Saurav too got some crucial wickets,” Kumble said while playing down his own seven-wicket match haul that earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.

Kumble, who was leading India for the first time in Test cricket, said he enjoyed the captaincy.

“It’s always gives you great feeling if you win the match as captain. I enjoyed every moment of this Test because Kotla is my favourite ground.”

Kumble warned his side not to get complacent for the rest of the series.

“I always expect Pakistan to come hard at us especially after such a hard-fought match. With Shoaib Akhtar in their ranks, it would be foolish on our part to take them lightly,” the Indian captain maintained. “Shoaib really bowled well here and being their number one strike bowler, we’ll have to be on our guard.”