“Wickets shouldn't be so flat” - Paras Mhambrey disappointed with slow, batting-friendly Trinidad surface

Team India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has expressed disappointment over the surface being used for the second Test of the series in the West Indies at Port of Spain in Trinidad. Sharing his thoughts on the slow and extremely batting-friendly surface, he opined that batting on the pitch is way too easy, adding that wickets shouldn’t be so flat.

West Indies lost only four wickets on Day 3 of the Trinidad Test on Saturday. A total of 67 overs were possible on the third day’s play, which was hampered by rain and bad light. The hosts were content playing in defensive mode and scored only 143 runs.

At a press conference following the end of the day’s play, Mhambrey opened up on India’s bowling performance and the Trinidad surface.

"The pitch is extremely slow. The ball wasn't seaming or spinning a lot. It was extremely slow. Towards the end, the ball was turning slightly, but it was very easy for batting," he said.

"To top it, they [West Indies] were batting extremely defensively. Had they played some shots, maybe there would have been some opportunities to pick wickets. But they weren't even trying for that. But to sum it up, our bowlers put in the effort. Whatever was expected from the team and the captain, they fulfilled that,” Mhambrey added.

The former India pacer went on to compare the contrasting surfaces that have been used for the two Test matches. Dominica had a lot in it for the spinners and the Indian slow bowlers ran riot.

However, the Trinidad surface has offered precious little for bowlers, forcing Mhambrey to admit that claiming 20 wickets won’t be easy, with the weather also hampering proceedings.

The 51-year-old commented:

"The wicket should be sporting, where all departments have an opportunity - whether it's batting or bowling. On this wicket, it will be quite a challenge to pick 20 wickets. The first challenge would be to bowl them out in the first innings and then see at what stage the game is at. These wickets are challenging and will be a lot of hard work for the bowlers. Wickets shouldn't be so flat."

West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite led his team’s defiance on Day 3. He scored 75 off 235 balls and it needed a beauty from Ravichandran Ashwin to knock him over.

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“Given the conditions, he has bowled very well” - Mhambrey on debutant Mukesh Kumar

While bowling was tough for India on Day 3, debutant pacer Mukesh Kumar impressed with his accuracy and patience. He was rewarded the wicket of West Indies debutant Kirk McKenzie (32), who was caught behind, giving India the first breakthrough of the day.

Praising Kumar, Mhambrey said:

"Given the conditions, he has bowled very well. The way he has gone about, putting everything that he has, is very heartening to see. That's what was expected from him, by the captain the captain and the team management. The progress he has shown from the first ball and the way he bowled with the second new ball was impressive.”

Looking ahead to Day 4, the Indian bowling coach said the first session would be extremely important in the context of pushing for a result.

He opined:

“The first session is important. The first hour in the morning is going to be extremely crucial. If we pick up a couple of wickets and make inroads, we can take the game forward and see where we are going ahead.”

West Indies will resume their innings on 229/5, with Alick Athanaze batting on 37 and Jason Holder on 11.