South African batter Tristan Stubbs admitted that his team missed the opportunity to gain a strong position on Day One of the second Test against India at Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Throughout the day South Africas batters failed to convert their starts into big scores finishing at 247/6 in 81.5 overs before bad light brought an early end to play. Stubbs looked set for a fifty but was dismissed for 49 by India’s left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

I think its a bit disappointing in the end there. I think all of us in the top six got in and no one’s really made that big one. I actually think I prefer batting at 3 than anywhere else.

“It (pitch) played quite nicely but I think they bowled quite well. It was quite hard to score. But it wasn’t free-flowing. You felt comfortable but the scoreboard wasn’t going anywhere. So I thought they bowled quite well” said Stubbs to broadcasters at the end of day one’s play.

Talking about Kuldeep who took 3/48 Stubbs admitted he still finds it hard to believe that the spinner got him out. Stubbs Kuldeep and KL Rahul who took the catch at first slip have previously been teammates at Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL.

“Every time he (Kuldeep) has come on he’s sort of gone a bit slow with the first ball and I managed to work his first ball of the spell. If anything he just beat me with the drift. I cant believe he got me out and KL caught it! That makes your life that much more difficult” he said.

Stubbs concluded by expressing hope that teammates like wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne and spinner Senuran Muthusamy can add more runs for the Proteas. “I think first-innings runs are going to be big. Hopefully Scholesy (Verreynne) and Sen (Muthusamy) can extend for as long as possible tomorrow and we can bat for as long as possible and then bowl as best we can.”

“I think that’ll be the game plan. Just extend the first innings for as long as we can. Hopefully the guys who come in now don’t give it away and get 40s and someone can get 100.”