Skipper keen to raise the level of play

Mahendra Singh Dhoni chose to reflect on his team’s predicament when he was asked about South African woes after self-destructing in Johannesburg. “We are not too bothered about how they are shaping up,” the Indian captain said. “For us, what is important is what troubles we are having and how we can resolve those issues. Okay, we won the last game, but it was not like we played to our potential. We are still playing below our potential. Hopefully from the next game… you are bound to make mistakes but if you can delay the time between mistakes, it will be good for the side.”

India’s batting has been disappointing so far, but Dhoni pointed out that there were other aspects too that needed polishing. “It is important to score runs. You need runs on the board so that the bowlers can defend a score,” he agreed. “But it’s not only the batting department. There are other areas too that we need to work on. Fielding is big — if you can get one run-out a game, that can change the course of the game. There is also death bowling.”

India will be without Sachin Tendulkar yet again, but Dhoni said the team had learnt to tide over such setbacks. “We have been missing players for quite some time now,” pointed out the skipper, adding that Virat Kohli would open the batting with Murali Vijay. “We haven’t played our first XI or the best XI for the past one year, which means some youngsters have got a chance to prove themselves, have a look at international cricket. Some of them have grabbed that opportunity, and because of that they are part of the World Cup squad. It’s good exposure for the youngsters — tough conditions, the series is level, three more games to go. It’s a good opportunity for everyone.”