Perth, Feb 9: Although India beat Sri Lanka in the second ODI of the CB Series, the match had its moments as Indian wickets fell in quick succession in the middle of the chase. Skipper MS Dhoni reiterated in the post-match press conference that the batting needed to improve. In keeping with the new policy of breeding youngsters, Rohit Sharma would be given a chance to live up to the promise that he has shown in the domestic circuit.
Excerpts from Dhoni’s post-match press conference:
On winning
I am happy with the win. We shouldn’t have played a few shots but mistakes do happen in the game and it’s good that we are on the winning side. We could have lost this game but it’s good that we ended up on the winning side. As a cricketer you feel bad if you play a bad shot [but] it gives you a chance to come back […] I think most of the guys will do that and hopefully we won’t repeat the mistakes in the coming games.
On Virat Kohli’s heath status
As of now it is cramps so I don’t think it is serious.
On sticking to full-time bowlers
It was working because in Perth it is usually one end that turns a bit more; the second end was quite flat. [Ravindra] Jadeja was bowling so I thought if I went with a part-timer, it may be slightly easy to score for the opponent. I thought if we could spread the field, get a bit of swing, [we could] maintain the kind of pressure that was there at that point of time. That was the main reason why I didn’t go to the part-timers.
On whether they felt the pressure while chasing after a few wickets fell
I got out and after that Virat got out; we were at a stage where the game could have gone either way. It looked more as if it would go the Sri Lankan way because they have somebody like [Lasith] Malinga. Our last recognised [batsman] was [R] Ashwin and [there was] Jadeja. With the kind of slingy action [Malinga] has, you can misread one ball and get out, so it was very important that they got some kind of partnership going not [in terms of] runs but more with the number of balls that they faced. They [had to] get used to the light and bowling action of different kinds of bowlers so I think they did well. They didn’t play any big shots but the running was good and they just placed it in the right areas and went for the singles.
On the rotation policy in place for the openers
I will look to rotate [the openers] because I want Rohit [Sharma] to play as many games as possible; it gives him an opportunity to get set into the side, so we will see. The way we are going as of now, we will look to rotate the openers. […] We can afford to do that in the first leg of the tournament. […]
On Rohit Sharma’s performance so far
[…] It’s not an easy thing to do. You get a chance and you are always expected to score in those couple of chances but it is important to give a long run to a batsman like him. We all talk about the kind of talent he has got; he goes back to the domestic circuit and still scores a lot and also in IPL. We know he has got the talent where he can prove himself at the top level. Today also he was batting well; the shot was on but the point fielder took a brilliant catch. These things do happen. We need to back him. We believe in the talent he has so hopefully in the next games he will get going and it will be a big boost. He can field well at the boundary and inside the circle and also, if needed, bowl a bit of offspin.
On Ravindra Jadeja
Being a left-arm spinner he needs to manoeuvre with his pace a bit more because he is someone who can at times bowl slightly quicker than what’s needed on that particular wicket. […] He will learn a lot, especially on wickets outside India. [Here] he needs to vary his pace more than the length because he may not get the same kind of turn that he gets in the subcontinent. […] We are still struggling to find a fast-bowling all-rounder so his presence in the side gives us the stability that is needed.
On his delight after taking a brilliant catch to dismiss Kumar Sangakkara
[…] It’s not like I don’t feel happy. [When] everybody is enjoying [the moment], I tend to start thinking about the next patch […] What plans to [effect] and the areas that I need to concentrate. There are others who are doing the job in the fielding department, lifting the intensity. My job is to do the thinking more so [while] others are celebrating, I stick to my job […]
On including Irfan Pathan in the side as a medium-pacer who can score some runs
The last time he played I was not part of the side. I don’t think he got much of an opportunity to bat. […] We would like to give him a few games and see if he gets going the way he did when he was part of the side; he is someone who suits that job really well. […] He needs to do [well in the] batting and bowling [departments] again. We need someone at No. 8 who can bat a bit. Ashwin fits that job and Irfan can also do the same kind of job for us.
On what he would have opted to do had he won the toss
We were looking to bat first. It looked like a good wicket and in the evening the ball may [have done] a bit more because of the breeze. Also, it takes the pressure off the batsmen because you can play your game more freely […].
On the wicket
It was a two-paced wicket. A few of the deliveries were not coming on to the bat and some of them were really zipping through. As the game progressed the nature [of the wicket] became more intense so [it] overawed the batsmen. They found it difficult […]
On whether he was surprised at Sri Lanka playing four pacers
After looking at the wicket you felt one end was for the spinners so they could have played a spinner. But different teams have their own strategies […] They have a couple of players who can bat and bowl like Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews […] They can afford to do that.
