http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MS-Dhoni-c2028 looks at the positives after narrow ODI series loss in South Africa
Indian skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757. The tourists lost the last match at the Centurion despite a stunning 68 ball hundred
by Yusuf Pathan that almost propelled them to an unlikely win after the top order had been blown away.
Dhoni was particularly pleased with the efforts of his bowlers at the death of the South African innings; the men in blue clawed their way back after the hosts had threatened to run away with the game through a brilliant hundred
by Hashim Amla.
The bearded Amla held the innings together as wickets fell at the other end in the match reduced to 46 overs due to rain. Dhoni lauded the effort of his bowlers who tightened the noose on the batsmen, restricting them to mere
28 runs in the last four overs after the interruption.
"In the last few overs, the bowlers used their variations well," Dhoni said. "We don't have express bowlers, but we have got bowlers with skills. That's what they rely on. It was a satisfactory performance, but both the teams
were struggling throughout the series when it comes to the middle order, which means both couldn't really get a prolonged slog. So that may be the reason bowlers did well in the death. [However], if we bowl like this in the World Cup, I'll be really pleased."
The Indians looked down and out in their chase of a revised target of 268 runs in the stipulated 46 overs as per the Duckworth-Lewis method.
However they were brought right back into the contest through an incredible 68-ball century from Yusuf Pathan who struck 8 sixes and 8 fours in his brutal assault. His innings brought the asking rate down to less than 6 runs
per over yet the constant loss of wickets meant that the hosts ran out of batsmen despite having an easy asking rate in the last few overs of the match.
Dhoni saw the approach of the batsmen as a big positive despite the fact that some of them fell to reckless shots at the match played at the Super sport park in Centurion.
"The biggest positive out of this game is that when we go into the World Cup, we will know that in the last 10 overs we can chase anything if we have wickets in hand. That lesson is more important than just the loss of the game.
It’s a part and parcel of cricket."
He added that the team had decided to approach the innings with caution as their experience of the track had given them the knowledge that the track was tough to bat on at the start of the innings. "Last time we played here we
discussed that whatever the Centurion track has for the bowlers is in the initial period. After that, as the day progresses, it gets slightly better to bat on.”
The fight by Yusuf Pathan meant that the Indians were saved from a crushing defeat which would have deflated them a touch before the all important World Cup which the co-hosts start as favourites.
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