http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni-c73820: Pressure games in league stage would help India in knockout stage
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Thursday that pressure games against tournament favourites as well as minnows are good for the team and would set them in good stead for the knockout stage.
“It's a good experience to have because you're all of a sudden in the quarter-finals or against a stronger side,” said Dhoni when asked about the fight they experienced from tournament outsiders http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Netherlands-c753 on Wednesday.
The Men in Blue, who are hot favourites to lift the ICC World Cup 2011, laboured to a five-wicket win after bowling the Dutch out for a paltry 189.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Virender-Sehwag-c95429 holed out nicking Pieter Seelaar to Alexei Kervezee. Soon after, Sachin Tendulkar, Yusuf Pathan and
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Virat-Kohli-c95424 were dismissed in quick succession as the hosts were reduced 99 for 4 in the next seven overs.
But Dhoni said that losing wickets from the top meant the middle and lower order also got the chance to flex their batting muscles and the positive from that mini collapse was that the middle order did the job aptly. He said that one would
never like his middle or lower order to be exposed and this is what gives him confidence that the line-up is well prepared to take the responsibility in a pressure situation.
Yuvraj has been remarkable so far with both bat and ball and made best of the chance he was given by the early dismissal of the top-order against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ireland-c751 and Netherlands, notching two back-to-back half-centuries.
“Any side you're playing, if you're 100-4 you are under a bit of pressure, especially if the wickets are slow and low and if you are expected to win easily, so that was a decent win for us,” Dhoni added further.
Justifying his top-order failure in the last two games, and that too against weaker sides, Dhoni said that while playing against minnows the openers try to play aggressively which does not work every time.
India are currently leading the Group B points table with 7 points having won three of their four games played so far. They are yet to play http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 but have already confirmed their place in the quarterfinals.
Tags: