Expectations will always be there: Dhoni
BANGALORE: Mahendra Singh Dhoni insists he's a great fan of the 50-over format simply because it brings in a mix of Test cricket and Twenty20, both.
"I am a lover of 50-over cricket," he says. "In Test matches we have to wait for five days and in T20, things happen in five overs. I am a fan of the 50-over format because it is a mix of Test and T20. If you lose quick wickets and are three or four down in the first 15 overs then you see a glimpse of Test cricket where a couple of batsmen will be battling it out. And in the last five or seven overs they go for slogging."
On Thursday, as he attended his first official presser ahead of the tournament beginning February 19, he held fort patiently on a host of issues. Excerpts from the session:
Big stage, bigger fan following
It is a big stage especially because it is happening in India and it has a big fan following. Everybody is looking forward to the World Cup.
We will miss Praveen
As far as the injuries are concerned it is unfortunate that Praveen is out. He has featured consistently in ODIs wherever we played and he has done very well for us. But at the same time you can't really restrict injuries to the players. I think he will miss being part of the big stage and we will also miss him. He is a street-smart cricketer and what ever the conditions may be, he has done well.
Last Cup for Tendulkar
One of the good things with the Indian cricket team is that there are plenty of issues that always surround us. But we are quite good at distracting ourselves from it and concentrating on the process and preparation and that's what we need to do. But still the fact remains that this will be the last World Cup for Sachin and most likely the last tournament for Gary Kirsten as the coach of the Indian team.
Team likely to be packed with batsmen?
For that you have to see which venue you are playing in and the wicket that has been provided. If the wicket is slow and low, then may be we can think about it. But if you know the wicket is not slow and a placid one then it becomes a bit tricky. Thus, playing two pacers and three spinners can be a bit difficult.
Choice between Raina, Kohli & Yusuf?
It is good if people are fighting for one slot because at the end of the day the player who will get picked will be the most appropriate one and more suited to conditions. The best thing will be that he will be in very good nick.
Biggest responsibility as Indian captain?
A lot of hype is always around the World Cup but I know that every series we play, there are lot of expectations. This time the World Cup is in India and we are expected to win. The atmosphere was much the same in 2007 in West Indies. Expectations will always be there.
Batting Power Play positive & negative
The batting Power Play is a big plus and also a big negative. A lot will depend on what kind of result you get in those five overs, because most of the teams will look to accelerate during those five overs with wickets in hand. We will look to get as many runs as possible but what we have seen in the past is that, quite a few times, the batting team loses three-odd wickets and you see the game changing again. It is important at what point you take the Power Play.
"I am a lover of 50-over cricket," he says. "In Test matches we have to wait for five days and in T20, things happen in five overs. I am a fan of the 50-over format because it is a mix of Test and T20. If you lose quick wickets and are three or four down in the first 15 overs then you see a glimpse of Test cricket where a couple of batsmen will be battling it out. And in the last five or seven overs they go for slogging."
On Thursday, as he attended his first official presser ahead of the tournament beginning February 19, he held fort patiently on a host of issues. Excerpts from the session:
Big stage, bigger fan following
It is a big stage especially because it is happening in India and it has a big fan following. Everybody is looking forward to the World Cup.
We will miss Praveen
As far as the injuries are concerned it is unfortunate that Praveen is out. He has featured consistently in ODIs wherever we played and he has done very well for us. But at the same time you can't really restrict injuries to the players. I think he will miss being part of the big stage and we will also miss him. He is a street-smart cricketer and what ever the conditions may be, he has done well.
Last Cup for Tendulkar
One of the good things with the Indian cricket team is that there are plenty of issues that always surround us. But we are quite good at distracting ourselves from it and concentrating on the process and preparation and that's what we need to do. But still the fact remains that this will be the last World Cup for Sachin and most likely the last tournament for Gary Kirsten as the coach of the Indian team.
Team likely to be packed with batsmen?
For that you have to see which venue you are playing in and the wicket that has been provided. If the wicket is slow and low, then may be we can think about it. But if you know the wicket is not slow and a placid one then it becomes a bit tricky. Thus, playing two pacers and three spinners can be a bit difficult.
Choice between Raina, Kohli & Yusuf?
It is good if people are fighting for one slot because at the end of the day the player who will get picked will be the most appropriate one and more suited to conditions. The best thing will be that he will be in very good nick.
Biggest responsibility as Indian captain?
A lot of hype is always around the World Cup but I know that every series we play, there are lot of expectations. This time the World Cup is in India and we are expected to win. The atmosphere was much the same in 2007 in West Indies. Expectations will always be there.
Batting Power Play positive & negative
The batting Power Play is a big plus and also a big negative. A lot will depend on what kind of result you get in those five overs, because most of the teams will look to accelerate during those five overs with wickets in hand. We will look to get as many runs as possible but what we have seen in the past is that, quite a few times, the batting team loses three-odd wickets and you see the game changing again. It is important at what point you take the Power Play.
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