JOIN USSkipper MS Dhoni said the unusually high number of no-balls bowled by the Indian pacemen was a cause for concern and it was unacceptable for him.
“Well we have tried to address the problem,” noted Dhoni when pointed out about the 21 no-balls by the Indians. “I personally feel that no-ball is something that’s unacceptable and the reason being it’s really in your control.
One or two (no-balls) in a Test match is okay but if you are bowling a lot of no-balls (it’s a problem because) you don’t really know which ball you will get a wicket. And imagine if there’s a set batsman in Test cricket and you get his wicket off a no-ball…. In Test match cricket it can be really crucial.
“That’s something we are addressing, we are very stern and we want the bowlers not to bowl no-balls even in the net sessions because it becomes the reflection in the game. We are seeing a lot of effort and hopefully it may not harm us in the longer run because no-ball is something that’s completely out of the game because it’s a very controllable thing,” he reasoned.
Down 0-2 India stare at a another series defeat but Dhoni was hopeful of ‘turning the tide.’ “It’s possible, the reason being we have been competitive in the series so far,” Dhoni replied when asked if India can draw the series from here.
“There have been phases where we have not played good cricket. If you see, we have played very good cricket throughout those matches apart from the 30-45 minutes of cricket where we have lacked a few things.
If we are able to capture those situations, definitely we can turn the tide. But still what’s more important is to play good cricket and I feel we are doing that. But we are not crossing the line which is vital in five days of Test cricket.
We feel we are close but at the same time it will have to reflect in our performance,” he remarked. Dhoni wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to play Bhuvneshwar Kumar who has recovered from a left ankle injury.
“He has started bowling, he bowled during nets in the last Test also but we want to load him a bit more with bowling. But as far as his fitness is concerned he is fit and also available for selection but Test-match fitness is slightly different, you may be fit but you have to see five days of load, how many overs you can bowl, what the situation maybe… You actually prepare for the worst when it comes to fitness in Test cricket.”
DH News Service