We have stopped experimenting after Greg Chappell Era - MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni

Indian skipper MS Dhoni, who is known to be a very sincere and focused man, has decided to stick to the basics. With a clear vision a realistic approach, he has ruled out experimenting too much with the current ODI squad in the series against the Kiwis.

He is hopeful that the five-match encounter will prove to be a good exposure for some of his players, especially for the new entrants just before the World Cup.

He said, “We will see what suits us best and then we will move ahead. As of now, after the Greg Chappell era, experimentation is something we have done away with. We don’t really change too many things anymore. We will give chances to a few players and hopefully they will rise up to the occasion and accept the challenges that they are pushed into”.

Dhoni also said that the series would be a good experience since the World Cup will be hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand.

He added, “It’s good exposure for our players who have not played in New Zealand before. In the bowling department particularly, there are some new additions to the squad. Wind will be a factor here and when you are exposed to different conditions, you work hard on your game. In turn, it will be good for the team because we will have players who have already played in these conditions and particularly at venues where we will be playing the 2015 World Cup. So it should be a good tour for us”.

He emphasized that the small grounds may be a factor, saying “When you are batting you have to pick a particular side where you are looking to play your shots. The straight boundaries are quite long and there is a strong breeze, so hitting down the ground will add ten yards.

“Bowling in this wind can be tiring and also you need to use its direction well. The grounds are not big, so the fielders need to judge where to stand so that batsmen do not steal doubles from you. We need to be intelligent about how to adapt to conditions here,” he said.

Although he is confident, he is also wary of New Zealand. He added, “New Zealand have a nice bunch of players who contribute in all departments, be it with the bat and ball, and their fielding is quite good too. They have always done well in major tournaments and are a fantastic side to play against. They have quite a few new players who bring their own strengths to the table. But if we concentrate on them too much, sometimes you can tend to over plan things. It is important to focus on our strengths and work on our weaknesses.”

We really hope that this tour proves to be a great one for the team. As long as Dhoni is the captain, we can be sure of a tough fight.