Saleem stood out in an otherwise disappointing show from Afghanistan.
| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy
In Afghanistan head coach Richard Pybus’ view, consistency of length was the driving factor behind Mohammad Saleem’s six-wicket haul in the first innings of the one-off Test against India at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium here.
Having not returned a wicket in his first four appearances at the international level, comprising a Test, two ODIs and a lone T20I, the 23-year-old quick was grandly rewarded for his labour in the sweltering heat against Shubman Gill & Co.
“What I enjoyed about him was his consistency today (Sunday). He was super consistent. The SG ball has got a proud seam. So, it grips the surface. He was just fantastic…he just held a length. And I think if you hold a length, you’re in the game the whole time,” Pybus said after the day’s play.
According to the 61-year-old, the entire bowling unit learnt from where it went wrong on the opening day. “We showed a lot of naivety with the ball yesterday (Saturday). It wasn’t Test-quality bowling in any conditions. We weren’t bowling channels, we weren’t building pressure. So, we had a conversation around that, and we were much better,” Pybus said.
Published – June 07, 2026 10:52 pm IST
