'Batsmen failed to capitalise on good work by bowlers'

Nasir Jamshed swept asidethe Indian attack on his way to a century. Photo: V. Ganesan

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the batsmen failed to capitalise on good work done by the bowlers leading to the loss against Pakistan.

“It was a very good effort by the bowlers, who restricted Pakistan to 250 runs but we sadly did not have enough wickets when it was required to accelerate the run chase,” Dhoni said after the match.

“It is important in the present scheme of things to have enough wickets to give a successful chase. It is something which we are failing achieve. We lost wickets too quickly and that made 250 look like a very big score,” the Indian captain said.

Saying that the experienced batsmen are not performing up to expectations, Dhoni felt the transition phase is getting extended as the juniors are not getting enough support.

“It is disappointing to see that the seniors are unable to perform. This is not allowing grooming time to the juniors. We are looking at the period when all of us start scoring well at the same time and put pressure on the opposition,” he said.

The Indian captain was critical of the way his batsmen when out playing bad shots. “As a batsman you should know how to keep off the good deliveries and hit the loose ones.

“Once you cannot do this the batting struggles. It is a different question that the Pakistan bowlers were bowling well,” Dhoni said.

The Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said his bowlers clearly gave the winning edge. “The pitches at both venues (Chennai and Kolkata) were challenging for the batsmen but the way our bowlers applied themselves gave us the edge over India,” he said.

The Pakistan captain said the three pacers — Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan and Umar Gul — are reviving the tradition of fast bowling which was one of the key strengths of the team in the past.

“We had been struggling in the fast bowling department for some time. But the way our pacers are doing now is a very good sign. Like the former times, the contribution of the pacers is becoming a big reason for Pakistan’s wins,” Misbah said.

Misbah also praised the batting of opener and century maker Nasir Jamshed. “He is showing lot of maturity. He showed very good temperament and that impressed me most,” Misbah said.