Dhoni reiterates stand on pitches

Captain M.S. Dhoni reiterated his stand on spinner-friendly pitches ahead of India’s third Test against England beginning on Wednesday.

“When you come to India you should know that you have to play on turning tracks. Spin suits the sub-continent and that should be the challenge for everyone to know, otherwise the concept of playing on different tracks goes down the drain,” Dhoni said.

“I feel the challenge is to play on a track that turns and assists the spinners, and it doesn’t matter if you lose a few games or win a series. The crucial part is that you have to accept that tracks turn here,” the Indian skipper said.

Despite the captain’s insistence on having spinning tracks and the subsequent loss on such a wicket in the previous Test in Mumbai coming under scrutiny, Dhoni insisted that India should prepare tracks to its strength.

The Indian captain took recourse to the ‘middle path’ advised in Buddhist philosophy to a question how he was dealing with the pressure of the loss in Mumbai. “There is a situation of pressure when you are leading a side for three or four years. That is when you see both sides of a coin. The most important thing then is to take the middle path,” said Dhoni.

Dhoni said that seasoned spinner Harbhajan Singh was down with flu and hence missed the day’s practice session. A call on the player’s availability would be taken later.

The England captain Alastair Cook said a result-oriented wicket was always welcome. “A result-wicket gives you the chance to win. Mumbai proved that a turning wicket gives both sides a chance,” Cook said.