​​”That’s a bit of a harsh statement” – Abhishek Nayar on claims that India are no longer good players of spin bowling

India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar feels it is harsh to state that Indian batters are no longer good players of spin bowling. India’s struggle against spin has been evident in the recent past as the Indian batters have not been able to bring their best against the spinners.

India lost the ODI series against Sri Lanka by 2-0 as they could not deliver against the home team’s spinners. Furthermore, India suffered a 113-run loss in the second Test against New Zealand in Pune on a spin-friendly pitch.

Mitchell Santner proved to be a thorn in India’s flesh as the left-arm spinner bagged a total of 13 wickets in the match and was awarded Player of the Match.

Abhishek Nayar said in a press conference, “Well, I think firstly that’s a bit of a harsh statement for anyone (on India no longer being good players of spin). I think credit goes to the New Zealand bowlers as they exploited the conditions well and they were very consistent.”

Nayar feels it is imperative to stick to their plans as the aggressive approach can also backfire at times.

“I feel that when we talk about playing aggressive cricket when you talk about having aggressive intent, there are going to be times when it may not work out for you. And I think Gauti (head coach Gautam Gambhir) has said this before, at times when you get games like Bangladesh, where we go in and get the fastest 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, there are going to be days when it doesn’t look as good and, you know, fruitful.”

Meanwhile, Nayar also hinted that gun fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah would not be rested in Mumbai and he will play the final Test.

“He (Bumrah) has not bowled a lot. He has got ample rest. He is very important to us and workload is always in our mind… In the morning, there will be swing and seam. At Wankhede, you’ll have pacers with a smile on their face.”

The third and final Test match between India and New Zealand will be played at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai from November 1 onwards.