Dhoni’s reply to retirement queries: “File a PIL for this”

He talked about continuing to bat lower down the order, thus partly delaying the retirement question, atleast for the time being.

Published : Jan 23, 2016 20:43 IST , Sydney

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was witty as he often is during the post match interaction. (This is a file photo)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was witty as he often is during the post match interaction. (This is a file photo)
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Mahendra Singh Dhoni was witty as he often is during the post match interaction. (This is a file photo)

M.S. Dhoni was asked at the beginning of his post-match press conference if he had played his last ODI for India. "For this, file a PIL first, then I'll answer," he said.

>Listen to Dhoni's post-match interaction

Dhoni was not at his most fluent on Saturday. He was on 7 off 21 and then 17 off 33, coinciding with a phase where India managed no boundaries for 32 balls. He needed to adapt his batting, Dhoni admitted. "Till we don't get a settled five, six and seven, I'll have to bat lower down the order," he said. "I find it a bit difficult to go in and play the big shot. It's not an easy job. That will be my responsibility, because I don't see any other youngster doing that job. I'll have to adapt in a way where I can straightaway go in and play a big shot."

He did not worry at any stage that he had put India at risk of defeat, Dhoni felt. "The wicket slowed down slightly. And they were hitting the deck and bowling wicket-to-wicket. Considering what happened in the last game, I didn't want to play the big shot. Because if I take that chance, after me there was Gurukeerat, Jadeja and Rishi. And I was like, 'If I am finding it difficult, there is no good reason why they will find it easy'."

Steve Smith, meanwhile blamed Australia's fielding -- dropping Rohit Sharma on 92 and Dhoni on 7 -- for the defeat. "We dropped a couple of regulation chances and when you drop players like that they're going to come back and bite you," he said.

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