Didn't adapt to conditions in Pune, says Kumble

'Hope Chinnaswamy wicket is result-oriented'

Blaming lack of adaptability for the defeat in the first Test, Head Coach Anil Kumble said it is unreal to expect one team to keep winning all the time.

The 333-run loss to Australia in the Pune match ended India’s unbeaten streak of 19 Tests that began in Sri Lanka in 2015.

“You can't keep winning every game,” he noted here on Thursday. “It has to come to an end at some point of time. But as I said, (not losing) 20 games in the current scenario of Test cricket is quite challenging for any international side, to go out there and keep winning. And that's what this team has been able to do -- across conditions, Sri Lanka, India and West Indies. And against quality sides, we've won from difficult situations.

“We have adapted to various conditions and also various situations. That's what we didn't do in the last game. That's why the result didn't go our way. That's why we are looking forward to this game to again start on a winning note,” he explained.

As a coach, Kumble said, it was his priority to look forward.

“As a coach, it's more important for me to look ahead. Yes, it was one of those games where things didn't go our way and you just need to move on. We have another three Test matches in the series we are really looking forward to that. We've had a fantastic home season. It's just one of those games where things didn't go our way. What has happened is done and dusted, we can't really worry too much about that. Australia played well, we didn't play really well on that surface. It was challenging but we didn't adapt. Every game we need to adapt to whatever comes your way... That's exactly what we're looking to do,” he reasoned.

Kumble also dismissed revisiting the five-bowler strategy, saying the conditions dictate the kind of combinations they form in each game. “It all depends on what we believe is the right combination to win a Test match,” he said. “If we believe that four bowlers are enough or five bowlers are needed and which five bowlers or which four bowlers... All that depends on what (conditions we get). Our aim is to win every game. That's the combination we'll put out there.”

Result-oriented wicket

Kumble hoped to you have a result-oriented wicket at Chinnaswamy for the second Test.
“I don't know much about the Chinnaswamy wicket to be frank,” he said only in jest. “I have grown up playing on this ground. It's generally been a good batting surface and yeah I'm sure it'll be a result wicket. That's exactly what we want in a Test match... You want results. And we're hoping it'll be a result wicket. It's always a good batting wicket.”