We would delay our team selection: Dhoni by Rohit Sakunia

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Player:	MS Dhoni
Event:	ICC Champions Trophy 2009/10

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DateLine: 30th September 2009

 

India would be looking forward for a perfect day at Johannesburg today as they take on West Indies in a match where only they cannot decide their fate themselves. First they would need Pakistan to rout Australia and then they need to beat West Indies, again by a comprehensive margin. The margin of both these matches should be such that India's run rate moves over Australia's. If any of these doesn't happen, they are out.

 

Let's take a look at the difficult to comprehend equation of run-rates at the moment. At present, the difference in run-rates of both the teams is a huge 2.08. The little breather though for India would be that even if the difference is huge, it has come on the basis of just one match. Making this simple, Australia's positive net run-rate is because they've scored 50 more runs than they've conceded (in the win against West Indies), while India have conceded 54 more runs than they've scored (in the defeat against Pakistan).

 

So now for India to move over the Aussies, they need to cover up for that combined difference of 104 runs. If, for example, Australia lose by 30 runs and India win by 75, India's NRR would go ahead of Australia.

 

Another good thing for MS Dhoni's men today would be that the Australia-Pakistan encounter is a day match and the Indians can decide what they need to do keeping in consideration of how the Pak-Aussie game is progressing. Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that he would name his squad for the match against West Indies depending on how the Pak-Aus match progresses.

 

The Indian skipper will keep a close tab on the other group-A encounter and would decide on his playing eleven only after he makes sure which way the day game is moving.

 

"We would delay our team selection. It depends on how the match is progressing. If we need to strengthen our batting we would do so. If we need the bowling to get stronger, we would do that," Dhoni said at a press conference.

 

Dhoni said he knows that the Indian fans would be cheering up the arch-rivals today.

 

"All of India wants its team to do well. Knowing that Pakistan's win (against Australia) earlier in the day is so important, they all would be cheering for Pakistan," he said.

 

Speaking on what has been the reason for the bad show of the side in the major event, Dhoni blamed his bowlers and said that since the batting has got only one chance so they can't be blamed.

 

"We batted in only one game so you can't say the batting has let us down. But we have bowled twice and we are not bowling that well. Yesterday (against Australia), the bowlers were much better, they were neither too short nor too full.

 

"But we have to admit we didn't bowl that well," he said.

 

Keeping all these permutations and combinations in mind, it would be bad judgement to regard the West Indians as mere pushovers. They have scared both the teams they have lost to and would definitely like to go back on a good and high note. Their bowling attack looks pretty good especially with the new ball and Roach and company will surely be looking forward to hurl some short one's on the Indian batting.