JOIN USIndian skipper MS Dhoni said the heavy defeat in the third Test at the Ageas Bowl on Thursday was a pointer to many areas his team needed to improve.
“We knew they will come back strongly at us, and for us also it was a new challenge to keep the momentum going after the Lord’s win. This Test showed some areas where we have to improve and to win Test matches we need to take 20 wickets. But in this particular game we were not able to take even 10 wickets, and that was a setback to a certain extent,” said Dhoni in his post-match press do.
Part-time off-spinner Moeen Ali did all the damage with a six-wicket haul, and Dhoni said the Indian batsmen could have been a bit more positive while facing him. “I thought our batsmen played the fast bowlers better, but we allowed Moeen to bowl his line and length. There was considerable amount of wear and tear on the pitch that went his way, and there were a lot of close-in fielders, adding pressure,” said Dhoni.
The Jharkhand man also explained the decision to go with seven batsmen for this game. “In the first couple of games we played with that extra bowler. But we never really used him, giving him only 8 to 10 overs. That’s the reason we thought of making our batting stronger by getting Rohit in. At the same time, he could also give us those 8 to 10 overs or more. That was the thinking behind it.”
Dhoni expressed satisfaction about the way his bowlers bowled, though he admitted that many of them were tired. “I think, Bhuvi seemed a bit tired. He got the right length in the first two Tests, but here he was slightly short. It was a different kind of wicket, where you have to hit the deck hard to get some purchase.”