/ 26 November 2007

Kumble hails India for ‘suffocating’ win

Indian skipper Anil Kumble was delighted by the relentless pressure his team placed on Pakistan during their six-wicket victory in the first test on Monday.

India eased to their fourth innings target of 203 on the final morning after dismissing Pakistan for below 250 in both innings at the Ferozshah Kotla ground.

”The discipline that bowling showed in both the innings showed in the result,” Kumble told reporters.

”Everybody’s involvement was there from start to the end.”

Pakistan briefly fought back when Misbah-ul Haq and Mohammad Sami put on 87 runs for the ninth wicket before India regained the initiative on the second morning.

”Once we let them off the hook after they were eight down, it was crucial for us to come back,” he said. ”We were in total control.”

Kumble praised the batting of Vangipurappu Laxman and Mahendra Dhoni, who hit fifties in the first innings, and Sachin Tendulkar, who finished off in style with 56 not out on Monday as the home team knocked off the 32 runs needed.

The 37-year-old leg spinner took seven for 106 on his Test captaincy debut, claiming the man-of-the match award at the ground where he took all 10 Pakistan second innings wickets to clinch a series-levelling win in 1999.

”It is very special to start being captain of India and winning the Test,” he said.

”Whenever I come to Kotla it feels good because my performances have always been good here. It creates an atmosphere, a positive feeling, once you walk into the ground.”

He said using bowlers in short spells on a slow pitch of low bounce proved crucial, adding: ”The pressure that we created suffocating them, not giving them easy runs, that was crucial.

”Knowing them, they will come hard at us in the second Test, but we have the quality to counter that.”

The second Test starts in Kolkata on Friday. – Reuters