Ahmedabad, Nov 7: Having managed to break the threatening partnership between Jesse Ryder and debutant Kane Williamson just before the close of play on Day 3, Shantakumaran Sreesanth maintained that the home team bowlers had performed well on the track that didn't help the bowlers.

Talking to media persons, Sreesanth said that Team India would try to win the match and it would not be easy to face the Indian bowlers on Day 5.

Excerpts from the interview.

On the Motera wicket

It’s a very flat track as usual in Ahmedabad. I worked very hard because it is not an easy track to bowl on, [it is a] very slow track. We have to work very hard.

On Jesse Ryder’s wicket

Ryder, I should have got earlier. It would have been good if that catch had not gone down. But thank God I got the LBW. Even though he got a hundred, we are still in the game. It’s a flat track but even on flat tracks, results do come. But you all know what the Ahmedabad [wicket] behaves like.

On debutant Kane Williamson’s performance

Very honestly, he looked very solid in defense but it is a very flat track. You can’t judge a player on a flat track. There is no doubt that both of them [Jesse Ryder and Kane Williamson] played well but I don’t want to say anything about the wicket because when you are playing Test cricket and you are No. 1 [you have to take the conditions in your stride]. We love challenges and we are accepting [them] in the right way and we are giving it our very best. At the end of the day, it was good to break the partnerships.

On what could have been done differently on Day 3

If we had held catches, we could have done well. Even a couple of decisions [could have been more India-friendly] as well. But as the game goes, I don’t think we could have done anything differently. It just happens – some days it clicks, someday it doesn’t. You have got to be patient. You know what happened against Sri Lanka in the last game, it doesn’t really matter. We will keep on giving our best shot.

On the team’s strategy

No matter what the wicket is, we’ve got to expect to win and give it our best shot. Our approach is to take it ball by ball, not to worry about the future or the past. Focussing on the process [is the key]. Let’s see, it’s a funny game. If we get a 100-150 run lead, even on this track, it won’t be easy to face –Bhajji pa [Harbhajan Singh] and [Pragyan] Ojha on the last day, for sure. And also Sree [S Sreesanth himself] and Zaheer bhai [Khan], of course!

On not getting any reverse swing

We can work on reverse swing but very honestly, [the ball] wasn’t moving around either. Maybe we can vary the pace, from 140 to 120. We bowled really well.