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.

Richard Pybus’ first day in the hot seat as Afghanistan’s head coach was a baptism by fire.

As India’s batters piled up the runs on a conducive strip, the Afghans didn’t help their cause with fielding lapses. Centurion K.L. Rahul also enjoyed a slice of good fortune when skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi chose not to review a caught-behind appeal with the opener on 16.

To make matters worse, Afghanistan could not utilise the services of left-arm spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf due to a leg injury suffered early in the second session. It all contributed to a chastening day in the field for the visitors.

“We always rue missed chances. Losing one of your main spinners immediately puts pressure on the bowling unit. It was a tough day’s cricket for us,” Pybus assessed at the end of the opening day’s play. “It’s really important that we don’t have an excuse culture. We weren’t sharp enough. We’ve got to take those opportunities,” he added.