Mumbai: The Indian skipper did not expect his team to lose after posting such an impressive total of 194. Whatever the reasons for the defeat, the fact remains that West Indies thrashed the Indian attack to win by seven wickets and two balls to spare.
Was it the dew factor today? Was it a bad toss to lose? Was the total not enough?
Mahendra Singh Dhoni patiently answered all questions.
“Yes, 30 runs more would have been really nice. But you have to realise it was an early start by half-an-hour and a bad toss to lose. So when they started batting, the first few overs were fine, but after that there was a considerable amount of dew which meant the spinners couldn’t bowl how they would have liked to. The ball was coming on well and the ball was getting wet... and that was the difference between the first innings and second innings. In the first innings the surface had some assistance for the spinners since it was gripping, but in the second innings there wasn’t much in it for them.”
Isn’t it a fact that on pitches like these Indian bowlers struggle? “I think the spinners had some assistance, but as the dew comes in, it becomes difficult for them to turn the ball. The seam gets wet and the surface becomes a bit greasy, so it comes on to the bat nicely. So yes, our spinners do struggle in conditions like these. Ash (Ashwin) bowled only two overs, and (Ravindra) Jadeja was forced to bowl the last quota of his overs; if not he would have bowled only three overs.”
Dhoni came in for some criticism for not completing Ashwin’s quota of overs. In Mohali as well as in Mumbai, Ashwin bowled only two overs. “Looking at Russell and the big hitters in the West Indies team, and the amount of purchase there was on offer, I didn’t think it was the best time for him to bowl. When the wicket is turning, I like to take that gamble of keeping a few overs from the spinner, so that if needed, I could make him bowl and if not I need not waste it.”
Was lady luck not in India’s favour?
“What matters is how the players are performing. It is good that we talk about luck because we start with a flip of the coin; but other than that you have to be at your best, you have to keep performing. If you know there will be dew, you would like to win the toss, but that’s not in your control. If you win the toss and put the opposition in to bat you try to take the game away from there. So, while luck is definitely a factor, at the end of the day you must play good cricket.”
The skipper also added that India’s earlier wins were not due to luck. “None of the tournaments that we have won were because of good luck... there is nothing called good luck. You have to execute your plans well. When a bowler is given that tough responsibility of bowling one over under pressure, if he bowls a good over and executes his plan, ultimately you win the game.”
No-balls bowled by India - and at crucial stages too - was a problem, according to him.
“Frankly, you have to take into account that nobody wants to bowl a no-ball, but on tracks like these it can get difficult. I do feel that the point at which the no-balls were bowled were quite crucial. Had we got those wickets, we would have got the opportunity to bowl at least one or two spin overs and not give away too many runs. Again, I don’t want to be too tough... but when there is pressure you have to be at your best. No-ball is something that can be avoided - especially the front foot no-ball. You just need to practice more and more.”
