There should have been a spinner, says Shami

Pacer Mohammed Shami Monday said India missed a trick in not playing a full-time spinner on a pitch where Australia tweaker Nathan Lyon has already bagged seven wickets.

Chasing 287, India were reduced to 112 for five at stumps on day four of the second Test at the Optus Stadium.

Australia finished with 243 in their second innings, with Shami taking a career-best haul of 6-56 but the match went away from India for the lack of a balanced bowling attack.

"The team management makes these decisions. We can't do anything about it. We had one spinner who didn't bowl badly. (But) If you ask me, I feel there should have been a spinner, but these things depend on your management," said Shami.

"After such a long time we have an Indian pace attack where all the bowlers are fast and are bowling good lines and lengths. Four years ago we weren't even this experienced. You must have seen the difference in our accuracy from four years ago."
"Sometimes when you have a long partnership, you have to wait, especially on a wicket like this where we were beating them again and again. It wasn't as if we were bowling bad balls, but even on bowling good lengths we were not getting wickets. As soon as we got a wicket the momentum changed and we used it."
"We don't need to mind these things too much. It is part of the game. If these things don't happen in the match then I think the match won't be interesting either."