ODI a good format to come back to form, says MS Dhoni after huge win over England

Indian players celebrate the fall of an English wicket during the 2nd ODI at Cardiff

India kept out all the unwanted memories of the Test series behind and registered an emphatic 133-run win against England in the second of the 5-match series, at Cardiff. Led by Suresh Raina’s sparkling ton, the visitors posted 304 for the loss of 6 wickets in their 50 overs. England were then asked to chase 295 from 47, as three overs were lost owing to the rain interruption; Indian bowlers, getting the home side all out for 161 runs, responded brilliantly to seal the win.

Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni felt that the one-day game is a "good format to come back into form". India looked a completely different side, with the players being electric on the field, in stark contrast to their Test showings. Despite the early setback, Raina, with helping hands from his captain and opener Rohit Sharma, set the stage up for the bowlers.

Important to keep wickets in hand

The Dhoni-Raina stand of 144 for the 5th wicket took the game away from Alastair Cook’s side following Rohit’s dismissal for 52 runs to his name. The skipper contributed 52, as well.

"In the next three matches we'll have more support than the England team which is unusual at times. You can't play one-dimensional cricket, it's a good format to come back into form," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony on the crowd support.

"The start is always crucial, the first 10 overs was not about the runs we scored and it was important to not lose wickets. If we have a good stand after 30 overs we will double the score. Losing too many early wickets puts pressure on the players who play big shots and it's not always easy. Rohit and Shikhar batted well early on," he added.

Cook won the toss and chose to field with the prospect of rain later in the evening; however, with only a minimal amount of showers and runs on the board, Indian spinners turned the tables on their opposition.

Dhoni conceded that the duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja received assistance from the deck as a result of the "right amount of rain".

Raina worked hard on his game

Raina was duly awarded the Man-of-the-Match, his 10th in ODIs, for his 75-ball 100.

“The wicket was really good. I thought if I batted until 45th over we could put a target on the board. I've seen a lot of the Test matches, I was looking forward to this game. I've worked really hard on my batting and fitness," the southpaw said after his 4th ODI hundred.

Responding to the one-sided contest, Cook credited India for their fantastic display.

"We didn't play very well at all. Credit to Suresh and MS, they took the game away from us and we were slow to react. But it wasn't a 160-wicket. We didn't turn up in any of our departments. We have to dust ourselves down, come back and play better”.

India lead the series 1-0 after the first washed out match.