India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said every bowler in the side was aware of his own responsibilities.
Speaking here on Friday, Dhoni said while Zaheer Khan's absence put greater pressure on Harbhajan Singh, the side looked up to every bowler to deliver.
“We will miss Zaheer. He was coming in with a plan even on flat pitches and getting wickets. But we do not rely on one or two bowlers alone,” he said.
Dhoni has backed his bowlers in the series while laying much of the blame for the lack of penetration in the Indian attack on the nature of pitches for the first two Tests. “I won't blame the bowlers too much,” he said.
Ojha's role
Dwelling on Pragyan Ojha's role in the side, Dhoni said, “His (Ojha's) job is to restrict runs, keep one end going.”
The skipper was emphatic about the side going in with four bowlers.
Asked about the lack of runs in the series from himself and Suresh Raina, Dhoni said, “I have been batting well and middling the ball, but have not picked the right shot for the right ball. Raina has been doing a good job. He is basically an attacking batsman. So, there are times when he gets out caught in the deep. We are not concerned too much about that.” On the Indian practice sessions being interrupted on successive days here, Dhoni said: “We have been playing a lot of cricket. Sometimes, a bit of a break from the routine can be a blessing in disguise.”
The Indian skipper also said that he would request the BCCI for some rest for himself and some other players ahead of the South African tour since they had been playing almost non-stop cricket.
Looking forward
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori said his team was looking forward to the third Test. “We will be judged more for our performance in this Test than the first two.
“This is the all-important match for us. There is an opportunity for us to win the series. We take confidence from our preparation.”
He was not willing to take an Indian attack without Zaheer Khan lightly. “Harbhajan Singh is a very experienced and successful bowler. We will not underestimate him.”
Queried about the positives for New Zealand from the series so far, he said, “The performance of the openers, Brendon McCullum and Tim McIntosh, and that of Kane Williamson.”
Elaborating on Williamson, Vettori said, “We knew about his talent. We wanted to manage his debut quietly. For someone so young, he understands his game very well.”
