http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 eye ODI series win in South Africa
Indian skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757; the tourists have won both matches and are in with a rare chance of winning an
ODI series against an extremely formidable opponent. After the win in the third match at Newlands, Cape Town, Dhoni stated that the slower bowlers had done remarkably well in conditions which don’t necessarily suit their kind of bowling.
The tracks are generally batting friendly yet they offer something to the faster bowlers. Despite the odds stacked against them, Dhoni’s spinners, led by Harbhajan Singh, have been on top of their game as
the tourists go in the fourth ODI at Port Elizabeth eying their first ever series win in South Africa.
After being battered in the first game of the series, the Indians bounced back brilliantly; they kept their nerves in pressure situations to pull off two tight wins and have the momentum all with them.
Dhoni played down the excitement surrounding the fourth game, though. "The mood is the same," he said. "When we lost the first game, we felt it was very important to keep a positive state of mind throughout
the series. We play so many games, so our mood and mental state cannot fluctuate too much. We always concentrate on the process, and don't really see what the scorecard is saying or what the series position is. We are not thinking about anything right now.
We just need to make sure that we don't repeat all the wrong things that we have done so far in the tournament. That will be our focus."
He singled out Harbhajan for praise. "Harbhajan has done really well. We are using him regularly in the Power play and have used him even before the 10th over", stated Dhoni.
Another factor that has worked in Dhoni’s favour is the support Harbhajan has received through part-time spinners Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan. The quartet is expected to play
a vital role in the World Cup where the tracks are set to suit the slower bowlers much more.
Dhoni is content with the talent that he has in the spin department: two out of the three leading batsman Sachin Tendulkar, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gautam-Gambhir-c58623 bowl spin and can add to variety to the attack.
He added that the plethora of spin bowlers was a positive sign as there would be days when even though one or two of the options don’t perform, he would have options to fall back on.
"If the batsmen are successful, we tend to turn around and say maybe the bowler is not bowling well, but sometimes it may just be that the batsmen are playing really well.
"Some of the Indian tracks are too flat to do anything on. The batsmen have the momentum from the very start. If they get off to a good start, then once you bring the spinner on, it is a 50-50 scenario. They
go after the spinners. If in the first few overs they are able to apply some pressure, then the spinner is on the back foot. A lot depends on where you are playing, and how the batsmen are coping with you."
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