JOIN US“It’s a big thing,” he said. “But in the end, you can have only 15 players, and it’s not like you may not get a chance. The team that is picked is the first 15. These guys are the first or second reserve, which means if any of the batsmen has an injury, the batsman in the reserves will come in, and if a bowler gets injured, a guy from the extras will come in. It’s very important to be in a good frame of mind because at the end of the day, just 15 can be selected and somebody will miss out. So it’s important to just give your best in whatever chances you get, and wait for your chance.”
Piyush Chawla has been waiting for a chance to play for India for a last two and a half years, and burst through as a wild card at the last moment to secure a World Cup berth.
Dhoni said it was essential for the leggie to play a match or two for the country before the World Cup.
“You may do really well in domestic games or if you have played abroad (Chawla for Sussex in the English County championship) or in IPL. International cricket, as I always say, is very different.
Batting ability
“It’s good to have him in the side when it comes to variety in the spin department, and he can also bat a bit,” Dhoni pointed out, explaining the rationale behind the leggie’s somewhat surprise inclusion.
“I am not saying he is a specialist batsman, but he scored reasonably in County cricket, which means he can bat at number seven for us if we feel the five-bowler tactic needs to be employed. Then we will have to feature someone who can bat a bit. Ashwin and Piyush can both bat at number seven.”