Leg-spinner Amit Mishra's four-for helped India take a crucial 87-run lead in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Colombo and now he wants the batsmen to set a huge target.
The spinner who is enjoying a brilliant comeback to the national side wants his team to keep the pressure going and suggested that the bowling unit needs time to dismiss the hosts.
Excerpts from the press conference:
On getting the better of Prasad and Mubarak
Satisfaction is when you plan and get the batsman. I always believe my wicket-taking ball is the flighted leg spin. Even today, I got two wickets with that. No doubt there is always room for improvement. Sometimes you have to bowl slow, sometimes you have to bowl faster. I felt the ball was new, so there will be turn and bounce. So I bowled slow and I got success.
On the pitch
It has started to spin a bit, to be very honest, but even now, the wicket is good for batting because it is still a bit slow. The endeavor will be to bat for as long as possible tomorrow and then we can see what happens on the final day.
On the wicketless morning session
We were not frustrated at all. Our plan was not to concede too many runs even if we didn't get wickets. Plan was to bowl one line to create pressure. We knew that if we got one or two wickets, we could run through them and that's what happened. No doubt Angelo Mathews (102) batted well to make a hundred but after that, we came back well. The way Ishant bowled with the new ball was important on a slow track. His effort in the heat -- that spell set the game up for us.
On the possible target and the overs required to dismiss SL in the 4th innings
Anything over 350 is good. If we can make it 400, that will be good too. Already the lead is more than 150, so another 250-330 runs will be a very good total. I think a minimum of 100 overs are needed to bowl out Sri Lanka again.
Changing facet of cricket and patience among batsmen
In the last match, we analysed everything. If you bowl well with good lines and lengths, the pressure on the batsman becomes more. We want them to bat on the fifth day, that was our planning. We will try to bat the whole of tomorrow and make them bat on the last day. There will be spin and bounce, the pitch is also slow, swing with the new ball. If we take one or two early wickets, there will be pressure, especially if there is turn and bounce.
On Ishant’s spell with second new ball after lunch
Ishant has bowled well throughout the Test but that spell was important because we got the breakthrough then. The way he bowled with the new ball was important on a slow track. His effort in the heat, that spell set the game up for us.
On his comeback
It was really important for me [to do well in my comeback] because I am playing after four years. But I was playing Ranji, etc. I was waiting for my chance. I didn't want a situation where I got the chance but I was not ready. I had a lot of confidence. Very important for me and for the team because it's a new phase, new boys.
