By: Tarish Bhatt
The T20 series didn’t pan out as per expectations for Team India, as South Africa proved to be too good an opponent for them. India lost the three-match 2-0, with the final game abandoned without a ball being bowled in Kolkata.
India limited-overs skipper MS Dhoni, however, is expecting a different ball game in the five-match ODI series, slated to commence from October 11 in Kanpur.
Dhoni insisted that his team would want to put the T20 series loss behind them, and display some strong performance in the five ODIs in Kanpur, Indore, Rajkot, Chennai and Mumbai.
Captain Cool, meanwhile, counted out the importance of the playing conditions, as the dew played a major role in the first two T20 matches at Dharamsala and Cuttack.
“The ODIs will be good, again a lot will depend on the kind of venues and the toss as well,” MS Dhoni said. “Kanpur being one of them. Dew is always a factor, once you play after September.”
“We would like to play the surface that is provided to us,” he added. “But at the same time, we want to make the most of the home series. Don’t want a lot of grass cover, difficult for the spinners with dew as well. “
Dhoni said he was making a few changes in the India squad for the 3rd T20, with Ajinkya Rahane, Amit Mishra and Stuart Binny were to be included in the team, but weather played a spoilsport.
“Three changes, we were planning to make: Jinks was supposed to open, Raina to bat at No. 3 and Mishra would’ve played,” MS Dhoni pointed out. “Binny would’ve played too. See what really would have been best for us.”
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