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It was a case of both captains acknowledging what their respective team had achieved While MS Dhoni, in what has been a trademark of all his post-match Press Conferences (except the England tour) termed the 124-run win over England as a ‘satisfying win’, his counterpart Alastair Cook accepted they were ‘outplayed in all departments of the game’.
Dhoni said that his team had waited long for a win and now that it has come, it is satisfying and should be continued. “We were good in the second part of England tour but the wins did not come. Winning and losing is part of the game but we have played too many matches without a win. That has changed now and we should continue with it,” the Indian captain said.
Cook pointed out that his team was outplayed in all departments of the game and while the bowlers were good in the first 20 overs, they lost the plot later on. “We were outplayed today. Our bowlers were tight in the beginning but gave way after bowling well in the first 20 overs. They got 180-odd runs in the last 20 and that took the game away from us,” Cook, who played his first ODI in India, said.
With India without the usual sparkling batting line-up, Dhoni had to take charge and he did with a blistering 87 to hold the innings together. He said he had specially prepared for the extra burden. “I believe this series is a grooming exercise for the youngsters and with them coming in I knew I had to take more responsibility in the batting order. I had practiced for this in the nets. I changed my style and tried a few more shots, like hitting over the covers. It is difficult to come in keep hitting and not lose a wicket. Yuvraj has being doing it for us for so many years now and we can understand his importance,” he explained.
With the pitch favouring the slower bowlers, Dhoni also gave a green signal to the conditions favouring the bowlers a bit more. “Had we known the pitch would favour the spinners that much, we would perhaps gone in with three spinners and two fast bowlers,” he added.
“But it is a tricky situation if we do that and one fast bowler has a hard day. And, then there was slight dew. You don’t know about the conditions. In our next matches, in New Delhi and Mohali, we will see the conditions and the dew factor and then decide on the team composition.”
Cook also confessed that playing spin was a problem and that his team will work on it in the coming days. “We know playing spin was an issue. It’s a skill thing and we’ll work on it in the next two days,” the visiting skipper signed off.
Dhoni said that his team had waited long for a win and now that it has come, it is satisfying and should be continued. “We were good in the second part of England tour but the wins did not come. Winning and losing is part of the game but we have played too many matches without a win. That has changed now and we should continue with it,” the Indian captain said.
Cook pointed out that his team was outplayed in all departments of the game and while the bowlers were good in the first 20 overs, they lost the plot later on. “We were outplayed today. Our bowlers were tight in the beginning but gave way after bowling well in the first 20 overs. They got 180-odd runs in the last 20 and that took the game away from us,” Cook, who played his first ODI in India, said.
With India without the usual sparkling batting line-up, Dhoni had to take charge and he did with a blistering 87 to hold the innings together. He said he had specially prepared for the extra burden. “I believe this series is a grooming exercise for the youngsters and with them coming in I knew I had to take more responsibility in the batting order. I had practiced for this in the nets. I changed my style and tried a few more shots, like hitting over the covers. It is difficult to come in keep hitting and not lose a wicket. Yuvraj has being doing it for us for so many years now and we can understand his importance,” he explained.
With the pitch favouring the slower bowlers, Dhoni also gave a green signal to the conditions favouring the bowlers a bit more. “Had we known the pitch would favour the spinners that much, we would perhaps gone in with three spinners and two fast bowlers,” he added.
“But it is a tricky situation if we do that and one fast bowler has a hard day. And, then there was slight dew. You don’t know about the conditions. In our next matches, in New Delhi and Mohali, we will see the conditions and the dew factor and then decide on the team composition.”
Cook also confessed that playing spin was a problem and that his team will work on it in the coming days. “We know playing spin was an issue. It’s a skill thing and we’ll work on it in the next two days,” the visiting skipper signed off.
