'We were surprised by behaviour of wicket': Australia coach McDonald

Australia pacer Mitchell Starc in Perth on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images; (right) Andrew McDonald

The home team bowlers did not put a foot wrong but the pitch "surprisingly" dried up quite quickly at the Optus Stadium on Day Two, eventually helping the Indian batters, reckons Australia head coach Andrew McDonald.

India openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (90) and KL Rahul (62) frustrated the hosts with their unbeaten 172-run stand that has put the game in firm control of the visitors.

While the wickets fell in heap on the opening day with as many as 17 batters getting out, only three Australian tail-enders were dismissed on the second day.

"The surface looked considerably dry today. It dried out fairly quickly," said McDonald during the post-day press conference.

"We thought there may have been a little bit more there. So, I suppose if you want to say that we were a little bit surprised, yeah, there wasn't as much seam movement or swing.

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"The bowlers were presenting the seam in a similar fashion to they were yesterday [Friday]. So I think the conditions may have had some say in that."

McDonald said there was hardly any assistance for seam or swing, compared to the first day. "If you look at the seam and swing, it was down compared to yesterday.
Yesterday was difficult work, I thought KL and Jaiswal played extremely well also.

"You need to ride your luck a little bit. Our guys got the balls in the right areas, and there was some plays and misses as well, so anything can happen if you get some edges on that. It could be a totally different day, but I think the conditions have changed, I'll state that," he said.

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