The Hindu : Sport : No complacency, says Dhoni

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No complacency, says Dhoni

Special Correspondent

Mohali: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his team would not turn complacent after the epoch-making win at Chepauk.

“It’s a different game. We start from zero again,” se said.

He felt the pitch for the second Test at Mohali was a largely dry one.

Dhoni spoke about putting the opposition in a situation from where it could not hope to win before going for the kill. He distinguished between clever cricket and foolishly brave tactics.

Terming Virender Sehwag as a “destructive player” in both forms of the game, Dhoni said the team always backed the dashing opener and his methods.

“We encourage him to play his natural game,” he said.

The Indian captain acknowledged the contribution of Gautam Gambhir in laying a solid platform for the historic chase in the first Test. He added the Indian openers “complemented each other.”

Dhoni felt England left-arm spinner Monty Panesar could have been asked to bowl more into the rough in the first Test.

“Unless it was really pitched up, Tendulkar was not really going for it from the rough,” he said, adding that teams had to read signals from great players.

Stands by Dravid

The Indian captain rallied behind Rahul Dravid.

“It is a matter of time before he is back among the runs and I am not worried. Once he passes the 30-run mark, he’ll get his confidence back. Nobody can question his talent and determination. We have the confidence in him and I think he’ll get runs at some point of time,” he said.

On the prospect of Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman swapping positions in the batting order, Dhoni looked at both sides of the coin. “It could work but could turn the other way too. If Laxman is dismissed by a good delivery at No. 3, then Dravid, already looking for form, could walk in under more pressure. Sometimes batting at No. 3 gives you greater freedom to play your strokes. But we are considering the option.”

England skipper Kevin Pietersen said the eleven would be named only on Friday morning; England had announced its eleven a day before the first Test in Chennai.

Like Dhoni, Pietersen felt the surface — despite a layer of grass on the match eve — was a dry track. Reverse swing could come into play, he added.

The England captain spoke about the Sehwag factor. He also backed Panesar to come good. The mood in the side was upbeat, according to Pietersen.

“We won 70 per cent of the first Test. We believe we can level the series,” he said.

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