India’s limited-over skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that the Men In Blue are “experienced game changers”.
After the six-wicket win over Pakistan here at Eden Gardens on Saturday, Dhoni lauded the boys’ character.
On the eve of the match, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said if any team could turn the tide at the Eden clash, it were India.
“We have been in this position before. Once you have been in such situations, you are experienced to turn things around; to have a bad game and come back stronger shows the character of the boys,” said Dhoni after India’s win on Saturday.
But Captain Cool dismissed statistics such as an all-win record — 11-0 — against Pakistan in all ICC events.
“We may lose someday. Today or maybe 10 years later, could be 50 years. But winning 11 games against them is an added pressure. If we lose, then ” asked Dhoni, whose decision to bowl first turned gold.
Questions though were raised on Dhoni no giving the full quota of four overs to Ashwin on a turner. The spinner bowled three overs.
“Initially, I never thought it would turn so much. Pakistan players are good at playing spin, so I chose a safer option. It is not that Ashwin couldn’t have handled it,” he explained.
However, he praised Virat Kohli who remained unbeaten on 55 off 37 balls in the marquee clash. “He works hard and wants to impro-ve. When in purple patch, one should score as much as possible. He is hungry to perform,” said Dhoni, who levelled the scores with his signature six.
“When one is under pressure, he tends to go for big shots but if you look at Kohli, he takes a single and goes to the other end. He likes players who can run hard with him,” he said.
