Dhoni: Sourav’s 7000 was a special moment
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who won the Man of the Match award for scoring runs in both innings of the Test match,. said he believes he should bat in an aggressive manner more often, which is his natural style of playing.
The following are excerpts
His captaincy record
Playing one Test and hitting half century, you get an average of 50. So is the case if you hit 100. Your performance is counted on the longer duration of the game. I got the chance here. It was a team effort. Winning the toss was very important. But overall I have to give credit to the team for winning this match.
If it’s the best win against the Aussies
I don’t believe in comparisons. I think we were hitting the right areas. We got the ball to swing, specially the reverse swing when the ball was nice and hard. So it was hurrying up to the batsman. The spinners also bowled well. They were very consistent in their line and length. When we got the opportunity, we made it count and that was very important. Overall it was good.
His aggressive batting
It was a perfect scenario … you got off to a good start, you got a placid wicket, a batting track, the ball was old. I believe in aggressive batting because that is my strength. In between, I think I was not really playing my natural game, thinking more about the scenario and conditions.
On him being the Man of the Match
Everybody contributed. Mishra bowled exceptionally well in the first innings and then there was Gautam’s century. It is not the Man of the Match that matters, winning the game does. Whoever wins the Man of the Match or Man of the Series award should be from our side. It really depicts that your side had the upper hand.
On Zaheer
Zaheer is bowling at his best now. His commitment is great. He is not struggling with injuries. He bowls his heart out on tracks where he is not getting help but still will give his 100 per cent. That is very important. His form is brilliant right now and hopefully he will continue with it for long time.
Captaincy and pressure
There is no pressure. When you play for India you always feel you should do something special. When you perform under pressure you earn more respect, it could be either in batting or bowling.
About claiming a bounced catch
I was not sure about the catch (Mitchell Johnson), so I immediately got up and appealed and asked the umpire. Rudy said that he never nicked it. So there was no point. There are times when the ball bounces in front of you and you are not really sure. Your eyes are closed at times. It is ultimately for the umpire to decide whether to refer to the third umpire or not.
On Amit Mishra’s selection
If Anil (Kumble) is not playing then obviously he can’t take the wickets. So, the guy who is playing in his place, either a spinner or fast bowler, has to contribute to the team’s win. As a leg-spinner we look up to Anil bhai.
Mishra’s bowling
He is a slow bowler, flights the ball. He is not really quick in the air. You have to be careful when it comes to shot selections and you have to use your feet as well. As he spends more time at the international level, he will be more confident in using the googly or slider.
Completely mauling Australia
Honestly speaking, we have not seen this before. In the first innings when they were on 22 from 13 overs, I told Rahul, ‘look at the scores, we wouldn’t be able to see that in any other game against Australia.’
Aggressive cricket
When it comes to Test cricket, it is not acceptable when you play a stroke and get out, specially in India. You are a bit conscious about it but at times you see that as your natural game. Viru gets out cutting or going for a big shot. That is his natural way of playing. At times, you need to bat with the talent you have got. It is important to curb your natural instinct, if the need arises but that should be more for the team.
Special moment
Sourav’s 7000 was very special. He is going out there and enjoying the game… He is not under any pressure. He is playing his shots and you want Sourav to play like that. He is very different from the others.
On Australia
They are a strong side. It is just that we are doing our job in a brilliant way… Everyone is contributing. That is what is important... So it is important not to worry too much about the opposition because you know when you play to your potential and the guys perform according to the record and talent they have got, more often you see that they do well.
Were you wearing Kumble’s blazer while going for the toss?
Stand in captain, stand in blazer.
The weakest Australian performance?
They have had a few bad games. It doesn’t mean that they have lost it. Remember, they are still ranked No. 1 in the world. They have got really talented guys in their side. They will come back strongly. We are expecting good cricket in the next two Tests.
Rest of the series
When you go for a toss, it is a fresh start. We have to start again from scratch. Everything depends on the conditions. A lot depends on the toss also in India, specially the tracks which are really flat for batting.
On the openers
Sehwag and Gautam, the way they score the runs, the way they run, the way they play. It really helps ease out whatever pressure there is in the dressing room.
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