Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said lack of collective effort hurtled the team to its second successive loss against England. The Indian captain said the fault lay more with the batting order which should “take up the responsibility”.
“We need to score more runs. It was a very good wicket to bat on. Out of the top seven batsmen most of us will have to score runs at the same time,” Dhoni said at the end of the third Test here at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.
“We need to bring up a score of 400 plus which the bowlers can look to defend. If you don’t score too many runs in the first innings and the opponents score runs, you would find yourself under pressure,” he added.
The Indian captain did not have any harsh words for the bowlers. “Overall, the bowlers are doing well. If you are not putting runs on the board, you can’t question the bowlers. I felt the spinners have done a really good job but a bit more contribution from the fast bowlers would really help the side,” Dhoni said.
The captain said the team is passing through transition and one should stop saying recall the “legends”, who are not likely to return.
Self-belief needed
“The legends are not there and the youngsters will have to perform. It’s a situation where everybody will feel a bit of pressure. But we will want to get rid of this and back each other well. We need to have self-belief, which is very important,” the Indian captain said about the rebuilding process.
When asked whether the defeats would put his captaincy under threat, Dhoni said the job of a leader is to steer the team out of crisis. “It is easier for me to say I will quit captaincy.
“A leader is needed when the team is in crisis. I cannot run away from my responsibility, which is to get the team together and be ready for the next match,” he said.
Pitch expectations
On his expectations about the pitch in the fourth Test in Nagpur, Dhoni said, “Can’t say what is there and have to go and look how the wicket has been prepared.”
About Zaheer Khan not getting much success in the series, Dhoni said the bowler will hopefully find a solution himself. “It would be for him to find a solution to become more effective.
“He is fit and from behind (the stumps) he seems to be bowling in the right areas and also swinging the ball well. Maybe the batsmen are playing him better,” Dhoni said.
