MS Dhoni
The second test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium ended in a draw on Tuesday. MS came in strongly against the kind of pitches prepared for the series against New Zealand. “If these are the kind of wickets we play on, then, maybe, we will need 10 days to force a result,” Dhoni said when asked what India should do to force a result. “There was not much for the bowlers. That is why, I think, they did what they could to the best of their abilities,” he added.
On the fifth day India had the task to dismiss six Kiwi batsmen. But, the pitch was totally batsmen favoring. And, Zaheer’s absence made it even tougher for India. The seamer bowled just three overs before going off the field due to injury. “Whatever may be the track, Zaheer has always given us wickets. Without him it was a little tough. And the wicket made it tougher,” Dhoni said. When he was questioned about the gravity of Zaheer’s injury Dhoni said, “It is a groin problem as far as I know. Now, how serious it is it is more of a preventive measure. We didn’t want to strain or push him as that might aggravate the injury and we might lose him for a longer period.”
When Dhoni was asked about playing 5 bowlers as Harbhajan seems to be getting matured as a batsman he said “Playing with five bowlers is a tough call. We are always happy playing four bowlers. Also, putting extra responsibility on Bhajji to score runs won’t be fair as it would increase the pressure on him. But it is an option which we can consider according to the situation.”
The past Indian skippers in the past have got pitches which totally suit the team combination. They have been given turners mostly. Dhoni has been an exception though. Mentioning the pitch here, Dhoni said, “It’s a tough one. Hyderabad wicket was always known to be a batsmen-friendly one (it has produced many high-scoring ODIs and T20 matches in the past). It’s tough to change the nature of wicket overnight.”
“Against Sri Lanka in 2007 in Ahmedabad, then Kanpur I think, and we were getting some assistance at the CCI (Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai) in the morning session; otherwise most of the matches have played on wickets that’s more on the flatter side,” Dhoni said avowing to the altering trend of pitches in India.
Tags: Cricket, India, Indian Pitches, Indian Sports, MS Dhoni, New Zealand, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Sports, Sports India
