India lost the mental battle - Dhoni

[vvvslaxman]

http://www.cricinfo.com/indvaus2009/content/current/story/433167.html India lost the mental battle - Dhoni Cricinfo staff November 5, 2009 After a close, emotional three-run defeat to Australia in Hyderabad, MS Dhoni said that India lost the mental battle, falling at the last hurdle. "You work so hard to get to a well, but then you have to drink the water yourself," he said. "We came very close, but the one last effort that we needed as a team we couldn't put in. "I don't think it was the talent part. I think it was the mental part, where you know you can play a big shot and you back yourself to do that," Dhoni said. "At times you just go through the motions, you don't know if such a shot is needed or not." Dhoni rued three dropped chances and a lack of experience in the bowling line-up. Shaun Marsh, who was dropped on 29 and on 51, went on to get a maiden century, while Shane Watson's drop cost India just three runs. "We dropped three catches. One of them was tough," Dhoni said. "We lost too many wickets in the middle order. Myself, Gauti [Gautam Gambhir], Yuvraj [singh], we got out pretty quickly. We could have done better. Though it was a very good track to bat, you still need a serious effort to get close to 350. If we had stopped them to 330 or 325, we would have had a better chance. "I am not saying they could have kept them to 270, but even if they could have kept them down to 320, it would have been a completely different game. On these wickets, when there is no seam or swing, experience comes in." It was all left to Sachin Tendulkar to chase down the target and he almost carried India home with an imperious 141-ball 175. He fell with India needing 19 runs off the last 17 balls, but the last three wickets couldn't manage that. Dhoni said the team believed Praveen Kumar could pull off the chase even as they were in the middle of a choke. "Till the last wicket fell, we had hope. Of course it was disheartening. He [Tendulkar] made such a big effort. Such a big score. He was the one man who kept us in the game. We would have loved to see him hit the winning runs. But that was not to be." Dhoni had words of comfort for Ravindra Jadeja, who for the second night in a row got himself run out in a crucial situation. "He is a youngster, don't take that away from him," Dhoni said. "When he plays more and more games, he will learn. It is tough, but he shouldn't be pointed out. He is doing the job for us. He is bowling well, he is a great fielder. He is learning the art of batting at this level. As long as he keeps learning from every game, it is fine."

[vvvslaxman]

I think these Nehra, Munna have to learn a bit of batting. Fielding .. they are never going to improve. That is a given. Least they can do is learn to swing the bat.

[okko321]

india lost cuz they didnt have dravid to back up sachin cuz its very hard to get dravid out and they also need zaheer bak if they wana beat aussy...and also fileding

[Celeste]

india lost cuz they didnt have dravid to back up sachin cuz its very hard to get dravid out and they also need zaheer bak if they wana beat aussy...and also fileding

Zaheer bowling average against Aussies is almost 50 . I think Aussies are missing him more than the Indian team.

[vvvslaxman]

Zaheer bowling average against Aussies is almost 50 . I think Aussies are missing him more than the Indian team.

O rly http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/297799.html India won the match from 64 for 6.

[bharat297]

^ The thing about Zaheers stats is that he hasnt played an ODI against Australia since 2007. Since then Zaheer has become a much better bowler and more importantly he can bowl yorkers at the death which not many of our other bowlers can do. India need Zaheer back

[fuub]

i noticed he is playing right now for mumbai in the ranji cup, why didn't they select zaheer i wonder

[satishg]

i noticed he is playing right now for mumbai in the ranji cup' date=' why didn't they select zaheer i wonder[/quote'] he is still recuperating from an injury. So they dint want him to rush on to the international scene quickly.

[The Dark Horse]

Raina supported Sachin very well but he often looked like playing a loose shot and getting out. That shot was not required, even a run-a-ball would have sufficed at that point. If they wanted to play such kind of shots they should have taken the powerplay when Raina was there. Needless to tell about the Jadeja run out.

[Desi Cartman]

Its good to see that he is backing Jadeja .. he is still 20 but is Aus - India international series the right way to groom him as a batsman :dontknow:

[Params7]

Raina supported Sachin very well but he often looked like playing a loose shot and getting out.

Yeah Raina was dropped on the slips too shortly after he came to bat.

[Params7]

Its good to see that he is backing Jadeja .. he is still 20 but is Aus - India international series the right way to groom him as a batsman :dontknow:

Jadeja was batting well under Sachin's guidance. He was rotating the strike well, running well, made the best use of powerplays by founding boundaries and closing the game of runs/balls. Then Sachin got out and he went back to his old nervous running form. He has it in him, just needs the right mentality.

[Desi Cartman]

Jadeja was batting well under Sachin's guidance. He was rotating the strike well' date=' running well, made the best use of powerplays by founding boundaries and closing the game of runs/balls. Then Sachin got out and he went back to his old nervous running form. He has it in him, just needs the right mentality.[/quote'] right ! but should he be playing against the aussies for grooming ? I think playing him in the first 2-3 ODIs was fine. even yesterday was ok but now we cant afford to lose another one just because we want to groom him as a batsman

[Muzicorp]

I agree, we need to win both games now so maybe Jadeja's nervousness is something to worry about. But we have to say that playing with Sachin should have taught him a few things during that partnership. I think its more important that Jadeja doesnt crawl back into his shell because of this. It may not be the right way to groom him, but he has to learn at some stage. Its not everyday that you get the oppertunity to learn first hand from a master-blaster.

[DomainK]

Lets not put too much blame on Jadeja. He is new and learning. He was playing under extraordinary pressure and the quality of cricket and competition around him was extraordinary as well. His seniors failed, why blame him?

[champ]

its become so common now jadeja standing in middle of pitch and getting runout .. is he gone mad ? i have seen ppl getting runout by inches .. this man just is not in the frame .. senseless mad running ... here age is not an excuse at all.. also since he iis a good fielder this is just frustrating

[Sachinism]

Some of these players need to pull their socks up. Some of the guys are too complacent. They need to be taught the value of every run. When in the field you have to save every possible run. Its so important they do this.

[champ]

sehwag looks very complacent .. not paying any price on his wicket .. needs a shake up i believe

[MUMBAISKIPPER]

indian tailenders, as usual, displayed their batting skills...reminds me of chennai test v/s pakistan,1999...tendulkar played an awesome innings(136)..we almost won that test match..but our tailenders gifted the match to pakistanis

[vvvslaxman]

Indian tail is unreliable. You should never trust them. They bungled in sydney also by losing their wickets to Michael clarke of all the people.