De Villiers, Kallis partnership was crucial: Kumble

Ahmedabad, Apr 5 (UNI) Indian captain Anil Kumble put on a brave face after his side crashed to their fourth worst defeat at home, saying it is very difficult to come back into a game after being bowled out for 76 on the first morning of the match.

Speaking to newspersons after South Africa had taken a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series, Kumble said,'' we had our chances even though we put up a terrible batting performance in the first innings.'' The partnership between Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers, who was later named man of the match for his double hundred, turned to be crucial as a wicket there and the match could have taken a different course.

On his bowlers not being able to take wickets, while the South Africans twice managed to dismiss India within a day, Kumble said de Villiers and Kallis played very well.

''Our bowlers did not lack the effort, in fact all of them gave more than 100 per cent, but Kallis and de Villiers were exceptional,'' he remarked.

Kumble, however, sounded upbeat about the form of his batsmen going into the third and final Test which India must have to win to level the series.

''All the batsmen got starts in the second innings, but unluckily they could not convert those starts into big scores for the team,'' he added.

On the controversy regarding the pitch, Kumble made it clear that he was not the type of person to give instructions to the curator on the type of wicket he wanted.

''We play on the wicket which is given to us without complaining,'' he said, adding, ''this wicket played the same throughout the three days.'' On the next Test match, the Indian captain said his team was confident of staging a comeback.

''The record of ours at Kanpur shows that we have done well there and we will be trying to do the same,'' he quipped.

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