Dhoni relaxed ahead of Centurion test
On the eve of one of the biggest test series of his captaincy career, Mahindra Singh Dhoni is a relaxed man as he attempts to plot the downfall of the South Africans in their own backyard.
The first test starts at the Super sport park in Centurion on the 16th of this month and Dhoni is in a positive state of mind before the start of the eagerly awaited three match series.
The wicket-keeper batsman is in the right frame of mind ahead of the series, despite India’s poor record in South Africa having won just one out of twelve tests played since 1992-93.
"It [mental state of the side] looks good," Dhoni said in his first press conference on the tour. "Most of us look very calm, very relaxed, thinking about the process and not getting caught up with other things. This means we are quite
neutral when it comes to frame of mind, which is very important for doing well.
"It's not always about history. What you have achieved in the past. It's not always about the stats. It's important to stay in the present moment, and how well we adapt."
The Indian team that took part in the series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 sans some of the leading players arrived early in the country to adapt well in alien conditions that they are set to encounter especially as the wickets are set to be difficult
for the batsmen with a tinge of green expected on the tracks.
"Last few days have been good. We were in Cape Town, most of us. We were practicing at Gary's [Kirsten, India's coach] academy, the facilities were good, we had some decent time to ourselves. Batsmen worked on a few of the things. It was
quite relaxed. No hassles. Till now the preparations have been good, we still have three days to go to the Test."
"This is what we have got right now. So we are trying to make the most of what we have got rather than thinking about what would have been better. So whatever days we have got, we are trying to make the best of it."
The Indians embarked upon the tour early in a bid to prepare well for the strenuous tour as the battle in the longest format of the game is going to take a lot out of them as there experience in the South African conditions has been of
playing shorter formats of the game.
The Indians took part in the Champions League there besides playing the second season of the Indian Premier League in 2009. However the longest format of the game is easily more taxing and the wickets are set to be more demanding for the
batsmen who have generally played their cricket on benign wickets in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750.
The http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gary-Kirsten-c58527 is aiming to topple his former team and has claimed that he has plotted their demise and it now is all on the execution of the plan.
Kirsten was himself part of many India-South Africa test and is now rated as one of the main reasons for the brilliant turnaround in Indian cricket in recent years.
The series is a personal challenge for him as he brings his rich experience into play against the Proteas.
The three test match series is an acid test of the capabilities of India on bouncy seaming wickets, if they are to topple the Proteas they would have to bring their A game in play as nothing less than that is simply not going to be enough
against Graeme Smith’s men.
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