MS Dhoni bemoans India's lack of talented all-rounders
Indian ODI & T20 skipper MS Dhoni conceded that India is far from being a settled unit in the limited-overs format, ESPNCricinfo reports. The 34-year-old feels there is a lack of talent in the country in terms of all-rounders and said that India will be forced to continue making changes to the team depending on the match conditions unless the issue is sorted out.
South Africa plundered the Indian bowling attack during the fifth and final ODI played at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, scoring 438 after winning the toss and deciding to bat first. They went on to win the match by 214 runs and thereby the series 3-2, handing South Africa their first-ever bilateral series win in India. The visitors had earlier clinched the 3-match T20 series 2-0 winning the matches at Dharamsala and Cuttack before the final match at Kolkata was washed out without a ball being bowled.
Some of the team selections made by the hosts have been called into question with Ajinkya Rahane not picked for the T20 matches while leg-spinner Amit Mishra was dropped despite being India’s best bowler, by Dhoni’s own assessment, in the 1st ODI at Kanpur. The skipper, however, defended the moves claiming that he has been forced to do so as the team management was yet to figure out India’s best combination.
"To be consistent, you have to have a settled team and to a lot of extent our team doesn't look to be that settled yet. We have to look at the venue, the kind of wicket that is provided and accordingly make changes. We have made changes in the batting order to see what gives more strength to our batting order, what looks like a good composition when we are chasing. You have to study these things. I know India is more about results but at the same time you will not get results if you are not looking into the process.
"If you look at the longer picture, we have to do all these things. I know when it comes to Indian cricket, not a lot of people are open to that idea, but if you only look at a particular series, in the long run, it will definitely harm us more. You have to look at the Champions Trophy and then the World Cup, where it will be played,” Dhoni said.
Another issue which have raised eyebrows is the tinkering with the batting order with Rahane asked to drop down to the No 4 spot after he had scored two half-centuries in the first two ODIs. Dhoni, who had stated prior to the series that he would like to come in at No.4, himself dropped down the order as the series progressed.
The skipper suggested that the changes have been necessary as he is trying to compensate a lack of batting depth.
“As I say, we can't always play with three spinners, but at the same time you have to sort out your batting order. You want to have strength in the middle and lower middle order and at the same time have bowlers who can get you wickets at any point of time in the game,” he said.
Dhoni admitted that the defeats were hard to take but lamented the lack of options available in terms of talent and said that India will have to be content with the players who are available now.
"It's a tough situation but we are looking for the solution, we have to try a few other things because if you are doing the same thing, you will get the same result and we'll keep talking about the fact that we don't have a seaming allrounder.
“We have tried Stuart Binny, people have criticised that also but if you talk of allrounders in India, your best seaming allrounder is Stuart Binny, your two best spinning allrounders are Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Whether you like it or don't like it, these are the best we have so we have to make the most out of them," Dhoni said.