We feel this is the best pace attack: Patil differs from Dhoni

In his third interaction in two months with the media, Patil was ecstatic about Harbhajan Singh’s strong comeback saying that “age will never be <g data-gr-id="37">a <g data-gr-id="38">criteria</g></g> but form and fitness will be”. Patil though was a tad evasive about the name of reserve wicketkeeper but clear on how Virat Kohli’s reign would be different from Dhoni’s tenure as Test captain.

Asked about his view of retaining the same four-pronged attack which Dhoni has been critical of, Patil said,”I am not talking about what Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said. But we are always trying to get a proper balance. And the wicket in Sri Lanka is such that we felt this is the best possible bowling combination. We all selectors felt we can go ahead with it.”

Patil was polite yet diplomatic when asked if he was hurt about Dhoni’s view on too much emphasis on pace.

“Captain has all the right to make a comment and we have no objection to that. It is <g data-gr-id="33">upto</g> BCCI to react to that,” said Patil, who spoke to the media sitting alongside secretary Anurag Thakur.

“MS Dhoni is one of the best leaders that we have seen and he has all the right to make comments regarding bowlers,” he added.

But Patil said that they did discuss the performance of the Bangladesh and Zimbabwe series.

“We did discuss the performances. On both tours, my co-selectors, who had been on those tours, gave their feedbacks. Prior to the selection meeting, we always discuss, we just do not sit and select the team. We analyse the reason for a particular department that is not doing well. In Zimbabwe, we did well with young players and a new captain like Ajinkya Rahane.”

When asked about Dhoni’s trusted players like Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja not finding a place in Kohli’s squad, Patil said: “Look, there will always be a change in the mix with change of captain. Every captain has his own outlook and perspective when he is leading the side. Someone may be an offensive captain, someone may be a defensive captain. But yes, <g data-gr-id="34">approach</g> of the captain defines that particular period.