December 30, 2007	Sunday	Zilhaj 19, 1428

MELBOURNE, Dec 29: India’s focus for the next few days ahead of the second Test against Australia will be on their batting, captain Anil Kumble said after they lost the first Test by 377 runs on Saturday.

India failed to score 200 in both of their innings, with only one batsman passing 50 – Sachin Tendulkar scored 62 in the first innings – as Australia’s bowlers exploited a slow and low Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch.

“The wicket was slow and it was not easy to play your shots,” Kumble told reporters after his side were bowled out for 161 late in the final session on Saturday.

“At the same time, you really needed just to put your head down and just bat.“It was a matter of adjusting, which we didn’t do enough.

“It was a collective failure on the batting... and it’s not just about one person getting 100, it’s about the team getting to 350-400 regularly.” Kumble said his free-scoring top five which includes Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly and Vangipurappu Laxman, who have scored almost 33,000 Test runs between them, had been bogged down by Australia’s bowlers and produced a run rate that barely peaked above two throughout the match.

“If you are looking to win test matches you need a positive and healthy run rate,” he said.

“Obviously the conditions... the way the Aussies bowled and losing wickets at regular intervals did not help.

“(But) whenever we had a partnership we were scoring at a healthy rate so it was just needing one batter going on to get a big score.

“I’m sure the run rate will pick up and we have the batting to do that.”

The leg-spinner added their rain-affected preparations may have also contributed to their poor batting. India faced just 48 overs in their only tour match before the Test.

“It was not enough (preparation), but I don’t like to give excuses. Having said that we require more acclimatisation.

“Batsmen are a bit finicky about certain things.

“It’s not easy. As a bowler you can say it doesn’t matter that you haven’t had time to adjust because you do that on the field but as a batter to go out there freely and play their natural game, which we didn’t do that here, is something we will discuss.”

—Reuters