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An opportunity for a young Indian side

Special Correspondent

— Photo: AFP

ALL THE BEST: Mahela Jayawardene and M.S. Dhoni may well be wishing themselves the same before the start of the ODI series.

Colombo: M.S. Dhoni, the Indian ODI captain, said that playing Sri Lanka at home would prove challenging — a difficult series made tougher by Sachin Tendulkar’s absence — and would therefore be an opportunity for his young, energetic side to accept responsibility.

“It’s difficult to fill the space left by Sachin Tendulkar,” said Dhoni, after arriving in Colombo on Wednesday evening.

“It’s not just his contribution with bat and ball. He comes up with brilliant suggestions on the field. The impact he has on the dressing room is great. But cricket goes on. When this scenario has happened in Indian cricket, somebody has accepted responsibility. It’s one of the toughest places to play cricket, you don’t get loads of runs when batting, you have to work hard. It (Sachin’s absence) can be crucial.”

Dhoni, who refused to be drawn into a discussion on the Test side, insisted the ODI squad was in positive after the camp in Bangalore.

Asked about the side’s recent troubles in the subcontinent, Dhoni said it was a matter of perception. “We haven’t been doing too badly. We lost crucial games, the final in Bangladesh, the Asia Cup final, so it may seem that way but the team has been consistent both in the subcontinent and outside.”

Did the self-enforced break do him good? “Physically I was always ready, but I wasn’t a 100 per cent in practice, which sends a bad message to the rest of the side,” said Dhoni explaining his decision to opt out of the Test series. “If I would have continued I might have been injured, prevention is better than cure they say. Physically I am more conditioned.”

What did he do? “I was off cricket. I was riding my bikes, playing with my pets, spending time with family. And I watched some cricket. I went on a small vacation. I played some canvas-ball cricket with school friends, so it was fun.”

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