South African pacer Kyle Abbott said good batting by Indian batsmen put the touring team in a more difficult position on the third day of the fourth and final Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Saturday.
“We threw everything at them today morning. With all due respect they batted incredibly well. We were unlucky not to pick up a few wickets,” said Abbott addressing media persons.
“If you look at heir partnerships, they were going at only a strike-rate of 40.
“If there is not much happening and they are not going to take risks, it gets even harder. They batted within themselves and were sheltered. Even when we were trying to tempt them, they left it or patted it back which was quite frustrating,” said Abbott, who had captured five wickets in the first innings.
Abbott said South Africa would love to see India bat longer on the fourth day. “To be honest, I thought they will have a crack at us tonight, maybe an hour or so. But they want to drag it out. If that’s the case, it's going to take more overs out for us to bat in the end.”
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja said the host’s plan was to set a big target so that its bowlers could bowl freely.
Jadeja said the team performed well in all departments to break the notion that it could excel only on spinner-friendly tracks.
“I don’t think there’s anything special in this pitch. We batted well in the first innings and got a lead of 213. I think this is a far better pitch than the one at Nagpur,” said Jadeja.
