Monday, January 2, 2012

India aren't finished, Dhoni warns Australia


Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni India has warned Australia not to get carried away too with the victory in the first test and backed his team to battle back in the second in Sydney this week.

If the nature of the defeat of 122-run week in Melbourne had shaken tourists, cool ice Dhoni has shown there is certainly no signs, when he addressed the media at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday.

Asked if India 4-0 series lead weight drubbing in England earlier this year and the match in Melbourne, had proven his team was "not very good" when there was something there for the bowlers, Dhoni quietly rejected the question.

"That is what you think", said during a press conference. "If you see the type of players we have, that would be very premature to make a statement.

"Because what we have seen is that we can always have bounced back. Australia will have to keep the pressure on the batting line-up and the bowlers too.

"It's just that we haven't performed in the first test and we look to improve in the second."

Wicketkeeper Dhoni own form with the bat abroad has been of much concern to Indian cricket fans and six counts and 11:0 pm Melbourne left him an average of just 17 in Australia.

However, the 30-year-old wasn't about to hit the panic button and said his ability to adapt to different conditions was one of its strengths.

"I won't look to make many adjustments, because what I learned over the past 15 years since my school days is it is very difficult for changes to only one series of," he said.

"What matters is to adapt well, look where you're weak and try to avoid deliveries that you can get out".

A player who never had any problem scoring runs, especially the SCG, where it has an average of 221 in six tests, is Sachin Tendulkar.

Search for 10 months of master batsman to notch up his 100th hundred international may have been frustrating for cricket-mad India but Dhoni said has little impact on the player or his teammates.

"This is not the first time Sachin approached a milestone," he said.

"We all know that this will happen. Can happen in this test match, can happen in the next test match or this series. You really cannot prevent this from happening.

"I don't think he thinks about it a lot ... it never really feels as if he was under any pressure when it comes to mark the hundredth hundred.

"As a team, we would like it to mark it as quickly as possible for no other reason than it is a great milestone and we would very much enjoy and celebrate it with him.

"It is also a great distraction for the media, what is good for us".

Dhoni will not be the name his side until just before kick-off on Tuesday and would therefore not comment if Rohit Sharma would make his debut in place of batsman number six out of shape Virat Kohli.

Having lost the ranking of number one test after the injury-ravaged side lost in England and now in a series of five consecutive defeats out of India, Dhoni admitted that his confidence had suffered slightly.

"He end it up a bit," said Dhoni. "But we all know that the reasons for what exactly happened and learn from your mistakes.

"Over the past five tests, lost, also were largely positive. We are looking at the positives. "

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