JOIN USThe way MS Dhoni has marshalled his team in these times of crisis has been nothing short of extraordinary and the Indian skipper feels his ability to ‘live in the present’ is the reason behind him not getting perturbed.
“Well, I've always said being in the present really helps because it really takes things off your mind that are not really in your control,” noted Dhoni on the eve of Tuesday’s Group B match against West Indies here.
“If you talk about what's happening right now, we are busy doing our practice session, we had a team activity yesterday, and we are quite busy doing all that stuff. Those are the things that are really in our control and will really help us improve our game. Being in the present really helps, and that's something I think most of the individuals need to do,” he remarked.
On a lighter note he added that keeping oneself off TV and newspaper also helps. “Well, there are no channels and we don't get to read any newspapers, so whatever is happening back home is happening back home. We are just really doing the best we can.”
With so many West Indians appearing in the Indian Premier League, Dhoni was asked if the team needed to do any planning at all for those players.
“I think a bit of basic planning is something that's very important,” he pointed out. “... But I've always believed that every individual bats in a different way depending on how the wicket is behaving, and according to the wicket, bowlers bowl differently; change of pace, bouncers or yorkers. So I think a basic game-plan is something that's very necessary, and you change or adapt according to what comes your way,” he reasoned.
Dhoni answered in the negative when asked if he would make any changes to the side that played South Africa. “You'll have to wait when it comes to the combination because you may say, ‘okay, overcast conditions so let us play with four seamers.’
But talking about the stats, the only stats we have got is we lose the game (whenever we play four seamers) and the captain gets banned. So, these are the two things that come out of four fast bowlers.”
The Jharkhandi felt the pitch might aid the spinners a bit. “It's the same wicket that was used in the last game (between West Indies and Pakistan). It has a bit of a grass covering, and it had a bit of bounce in the last game. But since it's a used wicket, it may be that the spinners get a bit more turn compared to the last game.”