Asked about the decision to go with four bowlers in the third Test, Dhoni said: ‘The reason for using four bowlers is the we never used the fifth. We just used him for 10 and 8 overs. With Shikhar and Vijay and Rohit around we thought we could do it. But it’s the bowling we need to improve and hit the top of off stump. We will have to think about the four-bowler strategy. We can say the extra batsman didn’t score, but then again the extra bowler didn’t pick up wickets. So we have to discuss a lot and decide on the basis of the pitch.’
Part-time off-spinner Moeen Ali’s six-wicket haul saw India bundle out for 178 in the second innings to earn a huge win for England and draw level in the five-test series and Dhoni said his batsmen should have been more positive. ‘I don’t think we played good cricket. We played the fast bowlers well. Moeen (Ali) bowled well, but we also allowed him to bowl well. There were quite a few soft dismissals during the phase where Jinx (Ajinkya Rahane) got out and a couple of other wickets that fell. The last session on Wednesday, we lost too many wickets. We could have looked at the Test on Thursday a different way without that,’ Dhoni said.
Asked about debutant fast bowler Pankaj Singh, Dhoni said: ‘Pankaj bowled really well, tall guy bowled good lengths. In this pitch, he bowled the right length. He could have got three wickets but it just didn’t go his way. Shami and Bhuvi bowled well too. When it comes to talent, we are good. In the mental approach, we have to play out shots and back ourselves because cricket is about runs and wickets.’
Part-time off-spinner Moeen Ali’s six-wicket haul saw India bundle out for 178 in the second innings to earn a huge win for England and draw level in the five-test series and Dhoni said his batsmen should have been more positive. ‘I don’t think we played good cricket. We played the fast bowlers well. Moeen (Ali) bowled well, but we also allowed him to bowl well. There were quite a few soft dismissals during the phase where Jinx (Ajinkya Rahane) got out and a couple of other wickets that fell. The last session on Wednesday, we lost too many wickets. We could have looked at the Test on Thursday a different way without that,’ Dhoni said.
Asked about debutant fast bowler Pankaj Singh, Dhoni said: ‘Pankaj bowled really well, tall guy bowled good lengths. In this pitch, he bowled the right length. He could have got three wickets but it just didn’t go his way. Shami and Bhuvi bowled well too. When it comes to talent, we are good. In the mental approach, we have to play out shots and back ourselves because cricket is about runs and wickets.’