Dhoni finds fault with his batters

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni believed his batters and fielders were found wanting against West Indies in a Super Eight match against West Indies here on Friday. However, he didn't give the credit where it was due - the West Indian fast bowlers who wreaked havoc in Indian innings. Fidel Edwards was one reason why Indians had a terrible start and were 29 for 3 in the fifth over. Dwayne Bravo took 4 for 38 and bowled deliberately at batsmen's body. And even though Jerome Taylor has figures of none for 44 from his four overs, he was an ideal foil in pace and bounce to Edwards and Indians were visibly rattled. But the batting did fail for the Indians, with the honourable exceptions of Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan, and they also appeared a foot slow in the field. "Even though Yuvraj Singh batted brilliantly and we recovered, 153 wasn't enough on that kind of wicket. We needed more runs in the early overs but unfortunately our top order didn't quite come good. "Then in fielding, even though we didn't drop catches, we could have done better. We could have made a score of 153 appear 163 which could have been useful. "In contrast, West Indies fielded very well. They picked some very good catches. In a format such at this one, these little things make a big difference."

Interestingly, Dhoni defended his bowlers even though the weakness of leaking runs in slog overs was once again evident. Indians conceded 31 runs in two overs - 16 in the 17th over bowled by Ishant Sharma and then 15 by Harbhajan Singh in the 18th over. "I don't think we lost match in those overs. We lost match in the middle overs when Dwayne Bravo batted so brilliantly. "When a batsman is in such form, there is little you could do. It was the same with Yuvraj. When a batsman is in flow, he can pick his gaps and hit where he wants to. "Actually I am quite satisfied with our bowling. I thought we bowled well and didn't allow them to get away in initial overs. It was our priority to check scoring and Gayle in initial overs." Dhoni's decision to discard his tactics to bring himself on to crease at the fall of first wicket also could have had bearing on the outcome. However, the cerebral Indian skipper had a reason for it. "I have been coming at number three because our openers had been giving us good start. I was coming in to bat at 4th or 6th over. But it wasn't the case today. We lost an early wicket and I thought Suresh Raina, who had such a terrific IPL, would be the ideal man for the situation. "Unfortunately, it wasn't to be."

Man of match Dwayne Bravo was thankful to his captain for his tremendous effort today. "This is what I was born to do. I am thankful to my captain to have promoted me up the order and I seized the opportunity with both hands." West Indian captain Chris Gayle lauded his fast bowlers, especially Fidel Edwards, for putting Indians on the backfoot.

"India is a quality side and they bat to the last player.

"However Fidel (Edwards) was brilliant today. He did damage to their top order and didn't allow them to get off to a flier."

Failed bowling experiment cost India the match: Dhoni

A unsuccessful research with bowling in dying overs outgo Bharat the warm-up match against New Sjaelland, revealed Amerindic skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Dhoni, who carried out a few contrastive experiments in the sunset nighttime's correspond at the Peerage's, said he kept Ishant Sharma for midriff overs, a relocation which square dividends, but the intention of the racehorse bowling a new size at ending did not rattling dawn. "Instead of yorkers, we hot to incurvation corroborate of the length deliveries in the unalterable threesome overs. Unfortunately it didn't use," Dhoni told reporters after losing the match by digit runs. "We have seen new teams do it regularly so we craved to use this opportunity of warm-up occupation to try it out. Regrettably, it didn't operate today. If we bonk to go to the basics of bowling yorkers, we would do so," he said. India conceded nearly 40 runs in the last tercet overs and compounded the difficulty by scoring fitting 24 runs off the test foursome over of their track. "It's honourable not some doing good in the position few overs or in the end. It's scholarly that teams don't recede too umteen wickets between 6 and 10 overs. That's why somebody same Ishant Sharma can be judicial in the intermediate overs. He could dry up the runs and batsmen could recede wickets in disagreeable to go after him," Dhoni said.

We can handle pressure of T20 better than others: Dhoni

With the cream of IPL in his lateral, Bharat captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni today said his men are more helmeted than their counterparts to grip somesthesia situations related with the shortest info of the gamy when they reason their ICC Humankind Twenty20 name. Dhoni said though additional teams mortal players who featured in the IPL, his back has an stimulant give in the period event play here on June 5 as all the 15 members of the Asiatic unit jazz featured in the just-concluded IPL in Southwestern Africa. "The optimal attribute is that we faculty jazz many how to handgrip push, when in the sunset over you essential 10 or 15 runs, everyone in our endorse has visaged that position. There are quite a few players from other countries but most of our players were in the Asiatic Premier Conference," Dhoni told reporters at the authorized pushing association here. "In IPL you somebody qualified talent in your indorse, but here we somebody copiousness of options. We possess the remove of the IPL so there is little pressure on apiece and every human," he additional. Dhoni, notwithstanding, warned his team-mates against complacence and said the defending champions cannot open to swear any broadside gently. "In Twenty20, there is no such happening as a feeble side, any several can interpret the job departed from you. We also can't lively on or zest the memories, we change to play up and do everything from scrape again, it's not some the historical," Dhoni said pointing to their conclusion in the initiation Man Twenty20 in Southeastern Continent two eld approve.

Dhoni back to top of ODI rankings

Bharat skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni toppled his Southland Soul similitude Greame Vocaliser to get the top dirty in the current ICC ODI batsmen senior.

By morality of his logical performance, including 76 and 71 in the old two ODIs of the on-going ODI broadcast against Sri Lanka, Dhoni has 803 assessment points in his bet, 27 points higher than Carver who occupies the indorsement sight.

Dhoni had previously inhabited the symbol one business for a precis period in 2006.

Country policeman Ricky Ponting is in the position bit with 751 points followed by team-mate Archangel Hussey and England skipper Kevin Pietersen.

Master workman Sachin Tendulkar is set the ordinal while an out of gathering Yuvraj Singh is languishing at 18th.

Meanwhile, comeback man Zaheer Khan is the single Amerindian bowler in the top 20 ODI bowlers chart in the 14th bemire with 642 assessment points.

Australia's Nathan Brake leads the array, followed by Inhabitant skipper Prophet Vettori, team-mate Shane Hamper, England youngster Dynasty Tolerant and Sri Lankan twirl wizard Muttiah Muralitharan.

However, no Asiatic histrionics is there in the all-rounders chart which is existence led by Pakistan skipper Shaoib Malik. England's Apostle Flintoff and Kiwi Biochemist Oram effort themselves in the wares and bag place respectively.

Tho' India has already pocketed the five-match ODI periodical against the Lankans with one contend to go, but it didn't assist Twenty20 Mankind Champions to move up the ODI championship fare as they happen themselves in the fourth patch.

Land continuing to pass the laden, followed by Southmost Continent and New Sjaelland.

Dhoni binds a winning ODI series

India don't like being favourites, and being written off by many even before their young ODI side assembled in Colombo ultimately worked just fine. Defeat in the final Test at the P Sara Stadium was so comprehensive that it was difficult to see where the one-day recruits would turn for solace as they landed for five matches against Ajantha Mendis and Co. Now, after beating the hosts by 46 runs, India have sealed their first series win in Sri Lanka. And central to their success has been their captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

From the day he landed in Colombo, Dhoni stressed the past should be left alone and the focus should be on the task facing his side. He admitted Ajantha Mendis would be a threat but said it was up to the individual to handle him. He stressed on the importance of the batsmen to back themselves to score briskly, despite the setbacks. India's recent record in the subcontinent included losses in the finals of the Kitply and Asia Cup, which Dhoni termed as "crucial games", and he hoped to rectify that trend. This match was a final in itself, and India held their nerve to win it.

He is a very important cog in this wheel, and for the second game running he was at the centre for India, overcoming health issues - he had a a fever yesterday and evidently hadn't recovered fully. Dhoni and Suresh Raina showed how it should be done, scoring runs at a good clip after Sri Lanka left India 81 for 3 in the 18th over. He led the way in proving Mendis could be thwarted, even as he struggled to remain on his feet towards the end of his innings. Overall, Dhoni has top scored in the series with 192 runs at a strike-rate of 79.33, won four tosses in a row, made the right selection choices, and been proactive in the field.

Under lights, with Sanath Jayasuriya in a punishing mood, Dhoni tossed the ball to Harbhajan Singh in the 18th over. With pace taken off the ball, Jayasuriya edged the third ball to a smartly-placed wide slip. After that Dhoni added an extra cover, who was sharp to deny runs. Attempting to work Yuvraj Singh off his pads, Chamara Kapugedera was trapped lbw. These are minor moves Dhoni makes, but they often have a resounding resonance. Dhoni opted for four specialist bowlers in the last two games and he was rewarded with wickets from Yuvraj. Dhoni also won four successive tosses: some call that luck; with Dhoni, it's all part of the package.

In his book, What Sport Tells Us About Life, Ed Smith writes of the 19th-century historian Thomas Carlyle, who believed the bravery of heroes and leaders derived from their inspired and resourceful force. "The history of the world," Carlyle argued, "is but the biography of great men." Dhoni is no great, yet, but he has this amazing knack to inspire. And, since becoming captain and changing his approach to batting, he has played key roles with the bat. He averages 57.17 when in charge, with ten fifties and one century.

Many had criticised Dhoni's decision to skip the Test series, forgetting that he had to endure such a gruelling schedule this last 18 months (14 Tests, 56 ODIs, eight Twenty20 internationals, and the IPL). In the Test side Dhoni has yet to cement his place, as one century in 31 matches suggests; in fact, he was dispensable at the time he announced he was opting out. Dhoni is the most important member of a young one-day side and he realised that for the better.

Numerous television chat shows slammed Dhoni for the loss in the series opener and for reportedly influencing the selectors to pick young talent instead of ageing, vastly experienced heroes. Now Dhoni has led this group, with their struggles and pressures, to win a series few expected them to even contest.

Dissimilar in the gear and gear matches, where Zaheer and Dhoni were virtually one-man shows, this was a agglomerate triumph. "Contributive efforts are gambler because you are not relying on one single," Dhoni said after the endmost occupation. "You faculty get several performances brilliantly, but it's always finer to win through a team sweat. Everyone can savour it that way."

Succeeding fifties from Raina and Dhoni, Virat Kohli's fille half-century to papered over the failures of Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj, Munaf's two-wicket split, Zaheer Khan's accuracy, wickets for the spinners. This equalise had it all, and that module give Dhoni vast satisfaction.

Critics can contend that India were helped by a finished stuffing failure by the hosts, and off-key program for Chaminda Vaas and Muralitharan. Dhoni instrument say you that his bowlers got the measure of the batsmen, and there is no denying how Dhoni and S Badrinath's movement towards the spinners in gamey two sparked a advance. Sri Lanka were impoverished in this programme, real indigent, but India were groovy.

This isn't in the similar league as the ICC Grouping Twenty20 or the CB Periodical, but it should be toasted. It came after Mendis - he who mauled Bharat in the Assemblage Cup last - and Muttiah Muralitharan prefab a apery of the advisable midsection inflict in Essay cricket. The line-up Bharat fielded resembled virtually that of the sorry Asia Cup net but, led by Dhoni and his turn bullishness in believing Mendis could be overridden, they overcame the odds. Disregard the horrendous times, and minify on the good ones, seems to be Dhoni's mantra.

Ball, poets say, cannot be written. Neither can cricket. After the firing of questions they visaged before this broadcast, Dhoni and his accumulation of upstarts can sit aft and grinning. They've defied the ratio and merited to win, and Historian would sure fuck toasted their success.