NAGPUR, Nov 8: Australia centurion Simon Katich accused India of negative tactics in the fourth and final Test after his own side’s defensive batting on Saturday had marred their chances of forcing a series-levelling victory.

India’s bowlers operated successfully to a packed off-side field to restrict the runs when the tourists needed to post a commanding first innings total at a fast rate to get into a position to grab a result.

“You are kidding me, are you not? We were the defensive with an 8-1 field?” Katich told a news conference when asked about their slow batting in the first session. Australia added 166 runs in 85.4 overs at a snail’s pace on the third day while losing eight wickets to be bowled out for 355, a first innings deficit of 86 runs.

“[Michael] Hussey and I were pretty content to try and wait it out and then review it later in the day,” Katich said. “Unfortunately that didn’t happen due to both of us getting out. When that doesn’t come off, it doesn’t look great. It is good strategy if you can execute it. If you don’t get it right, you can pay a price but they (India) executed it well. That is the bottom line.”

India speedster Ishant Sharma stood by India’s strategy. “I don’t think it was a negative line. You can see that some balls, Hussey and Katich got edges and it went through the hands,” he told reporters. “We have certain plans against every batsman. We went for a few runs the last evening, we just were bowling in our right areas.

“Obviously they are known as a very attacking team. If they are known as an attacking team, they are trying to do things but it can’t go in their favour always. It went in our favour, that is very good for us,” Sharma added.—Reuters