With the six-wicket loss in the second ODI, India suffered their first ever bilateral series loss to Bangladesh. And MS Dhoni was in the firing line once again, as he entered the press conference room in Mirpur. The questions varied from legit cricketing ones to those questioning his role as India’s captain. As always, Dhoni took them all with a smile.
Then came a question about him having to face the media after every Indian loss. “As long as I am in the firing line, I will not let anyone else get shot. If I can take this one pressure off the rest of the team, I am happy doing it,” said the captain.
He was undoubtedly gutted with the series loss and admitted the hosts “outplayed” his team in both the ODIs.
“This is our first series loss against Bangladesh and it is very disappointing,” Dhoni said. “In both the matches we were completely outplayed. It was a good wicket to bat on but we did not put enough runs on the board because of lack of partnerships. More than winning or losing it is the quality of cricket you play that matters. We did not play the kind of game in the last two games that we are capable of.
“We have lost to Bangladesh before this. But from first time we lost to them and today, there has been immense improvement in their team. Earlier they used to overly depend on their spinners but now they have good fast bowlers as well who know how to bowl the right lengths,” he said.
Analysing his team’s batting in the second ODI after they were dismissed for 200, the Indian captain said, “There were a few soft shots to get out. On such a wicket it is important to take calculated risks and play some big shots. But if you keep losing wickets in pairs, it becomes very difficult to do that. That’s what happened today.”
To make the big shots, Dhoni said, was the idea behind him promoting himself at No. 4 and holding Suresh Raina back at No. 6. However, frequent fall of wickets from the other end ruined his plan.
“The whole idea was for me to go up and play a little more freely,” he said. “In the last four to five years I have just done the same thing – I have tried to bat at 6 where there is some or the other kind of pressure and I haven’t been able to bat freely. So, I wanted to go up and go after the bowlers. But by the time I got set we lost wickets and I had to build a partnership. It kept happening right through the innings and I could not do what I wanted to.”
Dhoni hinted that him batting at No. 4 could be a regular feature in India’s coming ODI games. “I would like to bat a bit higher up the order and play freely. I have adapted to what the team needed off me since 2005-06 but in the longer run we have to try and find a player who will do that job for us.
“That’s the reason why I dropped Raina down the order today because he has been successful in that role. If I go up the order, there has to be someone experienced to take that No. 6 spot. It is a difficult position to bat because you either have to think three times before playing a big shot or you don’t think at all because you are not worried about any pressure,” he said, adding this is the right time for India to make these changes in the batting order.
“Whatever changes we want to make, I think this is the right time. We have to think long-term. I know short-terms goals are equally important but we have to look at the larger picture of building a strong team for the future.”
India dropped Ajinkya Rahane in the favour of Ambati Rayudu for the second match. When asked for the reason, Dhoni said, “We have realized that Ajinkya needs pace. Whenever we have played on a bit quicker wicket, he has always done well for us. When the wicket is slower, he has a bit of problem coming in at No. 4 or 5. We can make Ajinkya open the batting but that will not be fair to Rohit because when we needed him to open, he put his hands up. It is his position now and he has earned it.”
Eventually, questions shifted to his captaincy and the coaching staff. No stranger to fielding such queries, Dhoni was extremely open and honest in answering them.
“It doesn’t matter to me who the captain is,” he said. “I was never in line for captaincy in the first place. It was a job and a responsibility given to me and I have tried my best to fulfil it. If the decision makers think the team will do better without me as the captain, I am more than happy to give it away. For me it is more important to play for the country, contribute to the wins and keeping the dressing atmosphere good where the youngsters coming in can thrive.
“When it comes to the coach, even if that seat remains vacant, it doesn’t make a difference. It is more important to weigh in your options and put the right man in there. That takes time. If you just put someone there to fill that seat, it will be detrimental for the team in the long run,” the Indian captain said.
By: BCCI
