MSD rules out revenge home series

Plagued by finger and ankle injuries, Super Kings skipper hints at assessing CL options

“You shouldn’t have a revenge-like feeling,” said Dhoni on Friday. “Once you have that on your mind, you get desperate to perform and you start putting pressure on the whole side. Rather than looking at the opposition in that way, what is important is to stick to the basics. We’ll see how many bowlers and batters get fit out of the nine or 11 injuries we have had so far and what kind of cricket they have played. If you get decent practice before the start of the series, it will be good but we will exactly see where we stand and who all are available for selection,” he stated.

Dhoni pointed out that there still were a few positives to take home. “When we were a bowler short (in Tests), the way the other guys took up the responsibility was really encouraging. In the one-day series, we didn’t have much luck but the way the youngsters stood up and performed was good to see. Overall, there have been quite a few things that we will remember this series for,” he remarked.

The skipper felt everyone concerned needed to sit down and chat about what steps to be taken to improve performances. “For some of the players, it’s been over three months (on the road) in the sense that they went to the West Indies to play ODIs, played in Tests and came here directly. Somebody like Praveen Kumar has been out for three and a half months, it’s a long series. What steps are needed needed isn’t something we can just sit down and decide. Of course, we will have a discussion as to what is needed and the process has already begun,” he observed.

Dhoni has been playing with quite a few niggles, including a hurtful ankle, and wasn’t sure about taking part in the Champions League T20. “There is a lot of rest between games,” he noted. “We have to play four games and after that there is no guarantee we’ll reach the semis. In the space of 10 days, you have to play four T20 games. We will see how exactly I stand. A bit of rest helps heel finger injuries and twisted ankle. I am just hoping it doesn’t get worse, let’s see but I am not sure as of now.”

Dhoni was also against invoking the World Cup triumph to mask their losses. “We need to see what needs to be done in the future. Every series is as important as the World Cup or the Champions Trophy or any ICC event. It may sound more like an excuse when lose a series and talk about the World Cup.”