India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni says he is proud about Sachin Tendulkar's achievements in international cricket.
He said here on Monday, “We speak so much about Sachin. When he is on the field, he can really make the difference. His impact on the dressing room is great. The way he helps the youngsters, the way he can help you come up with strategies, it is really amazing. For the past 21 years he has been doing that. Whatever happens, when he turns up on the field, he gives 200 per cent. I just hope there is plenty more to come for him in the Test and the ODIs. Hopefully he will come up with a big score in this game.”
Dwelling on Tendulkar's qualities, he said, “He is very humble. That sets him apart from the other great cricketers. The way he prepares for the game. These small things matter to him.”
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On the pitch for the third Test, Dhoni said, “There is a bit of grass on the wicket but it's not green. It looked very different yesterday (Sunday) from what it is now. There might be a bit of bounce. We thought the same about the pitch at the SSC, but there really was nothing there for the fast bowlers. We are hoping that since the stands are a bit low here, the breeze blowing across may favour the pacemen. As the game progresses, the spinners might get some bounce with turn.”
On India's attack for the Test, Dhoni said, “It doesn't look like an outright seaming track where you will get a lot of help. You have to keep the second innings in mind also. We will have a discussion over it with the senior players and the coach, but as of now it's a bit unlikely that we will play a 3-1 attack with three pacemen.”
On the choice between Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh, the Indian skipper said, “Raina and Yuvi: That's a difficult one. I will protect the decision till tomorrow morning.”
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Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said he was not convinced about the ICC Test rankings. “We will not be the top-ranked team in Tests even if we win the series 2-0. Still the motivation is there to win the series. Even we didn't know about the rankings when the series started, how things change or alter after a three-year period. Even the ICC is pretty much convinced that the rankings need to be a more relevant and pertinent.”
Sangakkara said paceman Lasith Malinga looked fine while bowling at the nets but added a final call on the paceman will be taken later. “It's about how he is feeling mentally and physically.”