Mahendra Singh Dhoni was typically calm and collected after India finished at the right end of the first Test. His record as captain is only getting better.
This is the first time that India has won the opening Test of a series in the Caribbean. The 63-run win at Sabina Park was also Dhoni's 15th victory in Tests as captain.
He has now gone past Mohammed Azharuddin's mark of 14 victories. Only Sourav Ganguly, with 21, has more wins in Tests as skipper.
On the win that gave India a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series, Dhoni said, “We were missing some regular cricketers. But the players took responsibility and rose to the occasion. It was a team effort.”
Dhoni commended Man-of-the-Match Rahul Dravid for his match-winning 112 in India's second innings. “He is an exceptional batsman. He was patient, like he always is, and made the bowlers bowl to his strengths.”
Pat for Praveen
The skipper also had words of appreciation for debutant paceman Praveen Kumar. “He was very good, got us the crucial breakthroughs. He is a crafty bowler, swings the ball both ways. Praveen bowled in the right areas.”
Dhoni felt the 146-run partnership between Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, when India was in deep trouble at 85 for six on day one, was a big turning point in the match.The Indian captain believed it was important for the side to have a pool of openers and added, “(Abhinav) Mukund batted positively in this Test.”
Asked about the pitch, he said, “It was a surface of variable bounce. It was not easy to drive on the rise on this wicket.”
Impressed with Bishoo
Dhoni was impressed by leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, who claimed seven wickets in the match. “Bishoo bowled well, turned the ball. The inconsistent bounce helped them but there was a stiff breeze blowing across the ground.”
On the young Indian batsmen being tested by short-pitched bowling from the West Indian pacemen, Dhoni observed, “You need to enjoy the contest. A lot happens between the short-pitched deliveries. Gradually, you get into better positions while coping with these deliveries.”
Several umpiring verdicts went against India in the Test. Dhoni said, “If some decisions had gone the right way, the match would have ended much earlier. We would have been in the hotel by now.”
West Indies captain Darren Sammy was critical about his team's batting display. “We don't score runs in the nets. We do it in the middle. The team has just not been putting runs on the board,” he said.
Queried whether Chris Gayle would have made a difference, Sammy replied, “Our batting has been a problem area not just for this Test but for the last 10 years.”
On the positives from the Test, Sammy said, “We bowled India out twice. That is a positive. And Bishoo bowled extremely well. He is getting better with every match.”
Sammy expected the surface at Barbados, the venue for the second Test, to favour the pacemen. “The pitch there generally has pace and bounce,” he said.
He quickly added, “I won't drop Dravid again man.”
