Dhoni on India’s SA debacle: ‘Look at the positives’

Having led the side in the South African conditions in the past, Mahendra Singh Dhoni made it clear that things would ease out once the batsmen start scoring runs.

Published : Jan 19, 2018 12:21 IST , Chennai

Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni at a promotional event in Chennai on Friday.
Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni at a promotional event in Chennai on Friday.
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Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni at a promotional event in Chennai on Friday.

It’s not for nothing that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is considered one of the best thinking minds of the game. Every time there is a conundrum, Dhoni has his own way of analysing stuff, making it look easy and simple.

And at a time, when the cricketing fraternity is busy slamming the Indian team for its disastrous outing in South Africa, the erstwhile India skipper feels it is important to look at the positives.

“To win a Test match, you need to take 20 wickets, we have taken 20 wickets. If you can't take 20 wickets, the next option is to draw a Test match. How you can draw a Test match is by giving less runs and by scoring runs. Third option is there is no option because you are always looking for a win,” Dhoni, who was in the city for a promotional event with his Indian Premier League franchise — Chennai Super Kings — said on Friday.

Backing the struggling team, Dhoni believes that the ultimate motto to clinch a Test match is to scalp all the wickets and Indian bowlers have been able to do so. “If you cannot take 20 wickets, you cannot win a Test irrespective of where you play — at home or outside. That’s a biggest positive, that we are taking 20 wickets,” Dhoni said.

Read: Stephen Fleming named Chennai Super Kings coach

Having led the side in the South African conditions in the past, Dhoni also made it clear that things would ease out once the batsmen start scoring runs. “When we can take 20 wickets, this means we are always in a position to win Test match. Once you start scoring runs, you will be there,” the erstwhile captain said.

Before the series got underway in South Africa, the star-studded Indian batting line-up did give enough promises of breaking the jinx in the Proteas land, but as the series progressed it has remained the same old story, with none of them — with the exception of captain Virat Kohli — showing signs of steel.

But amidst the backlash, the struggling outfit has suddenly received a major boost — the backing of its most successful captain!

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