NAGPUR: Having achieved the first target of qualifying for the knockout stage, India should now be looking to turn the rest of the group matches for some useful practice and ward off the weaknesses that have plagued them on the way. The league tie against South Africa will show India their weaknesses and also what to expect when the tournament enters the next phase.
"We are already in the quarterfinals but getting two big games always helps you to get that bit of momentum going your way. But as I have always stressed, doing well on that particular day is more important," MS Dhoni said after the team's only practice session at the VCA Jamtha Stadium on Friday.
Although, India's passage into the quarterfinals was not as smooth as expected, the Indian skipper is pleased with the performance so far.
"We have had a tie. We have batted first and scored runs and also chased successfully in the last two matches. We have played on good batting tracks and also on pitches which are slow in nature. So we have had a lot of exposure," he explained.
He firmly defended the decision to persist with Piyush Chawla ahead of R Ashwin despite the leggie not in the best of form. He also took a dig at the journalists for criticising the youngster heavily. "Frankly, I am not bothered by what others say. When I select a team, I try to look at it as how honest I am. Piyush needed a game more than Ashwin because of the kind of applause he has received from you people," he said.
The captain played down the 'expectation factor' saying the team is more concerned about the process of doing well continuously rather than winning. "We are not thinking about the expectations. We are focusing on improving the performance all the time. There are areas for improvement and we are aware of that. Fielding cannot improve overnight but I think we haven't done too badly," he said. He expected bigger starts from the openers because it will help the middle and lower order to carry the momentum further. "If our openers can bat as long as possible, it will be good for us. Because, from what we have seen, if Sachin and Viru get going, it is difficult to stop them," he said.
Dhoni had hit back-to-back hundreds at VCA Jamtha ground when he promoted himself to No.3 position last year. Will he push himself up the order this time also? "Records are fine but that doesn't mean that I will again come up. It all depends on the match situation," he clarified.
We look for a big partnership, says Smith
South African captain Graeme Smith is surprised that his spinners have come to the fore and caused some confusion in the minds of the opposition. "Our spinners were quite successful in this World Cup. It is a welcome thing for us. Our fast bowling attack was predictable. With spinners coming to the fore, our opponents will be little more careful now. They will have to do more thinking to tackle us," said Smith during the press conference on Friday.
Smith also had a word of praise for MS Dhoni. "I have got a lot of respect for MS. I like him as a person and as a captain. A team has its own philosophy. India have a powerful batting line-up and they have used their part-timers well. The key to success against India is to have a partnership going," he said.
The SA captain did not think game against India is the biggest match of the World Cup. "I don't look at it that way. There is lot of cricket to be played. One thing in our mind is that we would want to win tomorrow," said Smith.
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"We are already in the quarterfinals but getting two big games always helps you to get that bit of momentum going your way. But as I have always stressed, doing well on that particular day is more important," MS Dhoni said after the team's only practice session at the VCA Jamtha Stadium on Friday.
Although, India's passage into the quarterfinals was not as smooth as expected, the Indian skipper is pleased with the performance so far.
"We have had a tie. We have batted first and scored runs and also chased successfully in the last two matches. We have played on good batting tracks and also on pitches which are slow in nature. So we have had a lot of exposure," he explained.
He firmly defended the decision to persist with Piyush Chawla ahead of R Ashwin despite the leggie not in the best of form. He also took a dig at the journalists for criticising the youngster heavily. "Frankly, I am not bothered by what others say. When I select a team, I try to look at it as how honest I am. Piyush needed a game more than Ashwin because of the kind of applause he has received from you people," he said.
The captain played down the 'expectation factor' saying the team is more concerned about the process of doing well continuously rather than winning. "We are not thinking about the expectations. We are focusing on improving the performance all the time. There are areas for improvement and we are aware of that. Fielding cannot improve overnight but I think we haven't done too badly," he said. He expected bigger starts from the openers because it will help the middle and lower order to carry the momentum further. "If our openers can bat as long as possible, it will be good for us. Because, from what we have seen, if Sachin and Viru get going, it is difficult to stop them," he said.
Dhoni had hit back-to-back hundreds at VCA Jamtha ground when he promoted himself to No.3 position last year. Will he push himself up the order this time also? "Records are fine but that doesn't mean that I will again come up. It all depends on the match situation," he clarified.
We look for a big partnership, says Smith
South African captain Graeme Smith is surprised that his spinners have come to the fore and caused some confusion in the minds of the opposition. "Our spinners were quite successful in this World Cup. It is a welcome thing for us. Our fast bowling attack was predictable. With spinners coming to the fore, our opponents will be little more careful now. They will have to do more thinking to tackle us," said Smith during the press conference on Friday.
Smith also had a word of praise for MS Dhoni. "I have got a lot of respect for MS. I like him as a person and as a captain. A team has its own philosophy. India have a powerful batting line-up and they have used their part-timers well. The key to success against India is to have a partnership going," he said.
The SA captain did not think game against India is the biggest match of the World Cup. "I don't look at it that way. There is lot of cricket to be played. One thing in our mind is that we would want to win tomorrow," said Smith.
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