MS Dhoni: Concentrating more on process than results has helped

MS Dhoni speaking at the post-match press conference

Auckland, March 14 (IANS) India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his team is in rollicking form because they are concentrating on processes rather than results. India won their sixth game on the trot in the World Cup, beating Zimbabwe by six wickets in Pool B at the Eden Park here on Saturday.

Asked what has changed so dramatically after the dismal tri-series against England and Australia, Dhoni said: "The performances have come up and we are concentrating more on the process than the result."

Chasing a stiff target of 288, India were in more than a spot of bother at 92/4 when Dhoni (85 not out) and Suresh Raina (110 not out) struck a record 196-run partnership to reach home with eight balls to spare. Dhoni said that they felt pressure while chasing as the drop-in pitch lacked pace which made it difficult middling the ball.

"Not only me and Suresh but even when Virat went in, we were feeling the pressure. Zimbabwe is a good side but still we are expected to win. The wicket really wasn't coming on nicely and we didn't have enough pace to work with," he said.

The 33-year-old added that it was nice that their lower middle-order got a chance to bat and that the bowlers were put under pressure so that they would know what to do in difficult situations in the knockouts.

"It is nice that everyone has been put under pressure, whether the three fast bowlers or the spinners or the top order in a few games. This is the difference between playing here and a bilateral series where the lower order is hardly tested and suddenly in big games they have to perform which gets very difficult," concluded Dhoni.