×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Not worried about rankings, says Dhoni

Sehwags absence a big setback, admits skipper
Last Updated 14 July 2011, 17:24 IST

The four-Test series between India and England, currently placed third in the list, could potentially herald a change in guard at the top of the rankings but Dhoni said rankings were not on the top of his mind. “It’s not the ratings that are very important to us,” noted the Jharkhandi here on Thursday.

“What is important is to play some good cricket and enjoy the game. Normally what happens at the top level is you don’t enjoy the game and that’s how it is. Again we will look to do the small things right and ratings will take care of themselves,” he reasoned.
Despite a wealth of experience in the middle-order, Virender Sehwag’s absence, Dhoni admitted, was a huge setback.

 “We, as a side, rely on our openers quite a bit. A good start helps our middle order capitalise. There aren’t many cricketers in the world who impact a game like Sehwag does. We will miss him surely.”

Sehwag, included in the 17-man squad, will likely be available for third and fourth Tests.
Dhoni said England presented a huge challenge. “We can’t take any side lightly,” he remarked.

“For us, every series is important. I feel it’s important for us to stick to the basics and that’s what we have been doing for the past two years or so. We are not looking at the opposition. I think England are a very good side.

“They have got bowlers who can take 20 wickets and they have got batsmen who can score plenty of runs. We have to be at our very best (to beat them),” he elaborated.  The wicketkeeper-batsman didn’t feel it would be too difficult to adjust to the conditions in England.

“The climate of course is quite different to the one we experienced in the West Indies. It was quite humid out there. It’s nice whether out here to play cricket.

“I don’t think we will find it difficult to get acclimatised to the conditions. Also, in the West Indies, it was difficult to consistently score runs. Shot-playing wasn’t that easy. It could be different here. You can play shots. The outfield surely will be 200 miles faster (than in the Caribbean) which can be of great help to score runs,” he pointed out.

Homecoming of sorts

For coach Duncan Fletcher it’s sort of a homecoming, but he never expected to come back as the coach of another team. “(Once I left England), I thought that’s it. I did a bit of consultancy before the coaching bug bit me again. But what happens with consultancy is that you are not completely involved in it. When this opportunity came along, I couldn’t turn it down.”

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 14 July 2011, 17:24 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT