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Pradeep Mandhani
interview
'I Don't Want To Drive A Bentley Or A Rolls Royce'
The Indian captain on how he and his young team went about defying naysayers to tame the mighty Australians at home...
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Cricket: india in oz
It's true what they say, the young have no fear. Dhoni's bunch of twenty somethings start out on a wonderful crusade.
Rohit Mahajan
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Cricket: india in oz
Bhajji's audacity doused an emotional holocaust
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opinion
A splendid victory, but it's a base camp for the assault on the peak: Tests
Peter Lalor
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cricket
Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, Praveen Kumar, Piyush Chawla...
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Less than six months after leading India to the Twenty20 World Cup title, M.S. Dhoni and his merry young men defied naysayers and tamed the mighty Australians at home. What went on in their minds? Excerpts from an exclusive interview with Rohit Mahajan.
Leading India to victory in Australia must be extremely satisfying, given that no one had given your team a chance?
Yes, it's been, but I myself have done nothing amazing—I had a great bunch here, 16 guys who rose to the challenge in this very difficult series. In any case, I believe the captain is as good as his players. He simply accumulates the pressure of the game and channels it to his players, and it's for them to respond to that.
Would you say that your backing of the young team has been vindicated by the win?
Well, even if we had not won this series, I would have supported this team. The core of the future ODI team would be formed by these 17 guys here. And whoever is in good nick will be part of the XI.
You made some surprising decisions through the series. In the finals you opened the bowling with the raw Praveen Kumar and played Piyush Chawla.
I wanted to spring a surprise on the Australians. Piyush had a good chance of playing the final league game, but I thought I'd keep him as a surprise for the finals. He can mix it up well, he's short and so even when he flights the ball, it remains relatively flat and can bother the batsmen. And Praveen can swing the ball both ways and is deceptively quick. The surprise element worked.
Was it right to publicly say that someone who's not been getting the runs would be played in the whole series?
Before judging players, you have to look at the opportunities they have got. Yuvraj has proved himself to be a matchwinner for the last several years and cannot be dropped after two bad games here. On what basis do you drop him? His performance in Tests? No, ODI cricket is different. Same with Uthappa. He'd been batting at No. 6 or 7—(at that spot) you can't get more than 30 balls to play. So you need to back the guys who bat at these spots. I have to take tough decisions. I can't afford to please people—I have to think only about the team's interests.
How come you're not playing as many big shots as you used to?
Growing up, I played a lot of tennis-ball cricket, I haven't come through the usual channels of junior state cricket. I started with one-day cricket, and that's the reason I play so many big shots. But you won't see me play too many rash shots. You want to see the team through, and that's best done if you stay there to finish the job.
You have grown into your role as captain over the last few months.
Well, I had never led a team before, not even Jharkhand. So whatever I'm doing, my abilities as leader, I guess they were within me. They were never explored, and I guess that worked for me. But as I said, it's the players who make a captain successful.
You've repeatedly said that you play the game by instinct.
Yes, though I do plan. But it's not that the day before a big game, at 4.30 in the afternoon, I sit down with pen and paper. Thinking too much can fatigue you mentally, and you don't want that before a big game. There is planning, of course, but as the game progresses, the possibilities keep coming into my head. This happens because we've played the game all our life, and understand it across a broad spectrum. Also, there is something different about how a batsman or a bowler plays every day. You have to to be willing to rethink the plans. There is risk in this, and if you are not sure, you discuss it with the others.
You seem to be very carefree, as if you are not really bothered by the pressure of being the India captain.
Well, right from the time I made my debut, I have known that I won't be in the team for long if I don't perform. And if I don't perform, I'm willing to go back and play for Jharkhand and try to play for India again. But it's important to keep enjoying the game, keep playing well, because only that is in your control. If you expect too much, there is a possibility that you'll be disappointed.
Intense media scrutiny, public expectations, money and fame.... How do you maintain your balance?
Well, I don't think I will be affected by all that. I don't really like being in the news apart from the sports pages. As for the money, whatever I've earned until now is enough for me to live a very good life. I have a good job with Indian Airlines. You have to know what's enough. I don't want to drive a Bentley or a Rolls Royce.
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Cricket: india in oz
It's true what they say, the young have no fear. Dhoni's bunch of twenty somethings start out on a wonderful crusade.
Rohit Mahajan
|
|
|
Cricket: india in oz
Bhajji's audacity doused an emotional holocaust
|
|
|
opinion
A splendid victory, but it's a base camp for the assault on the peak: Tests
Peter Lalor
|
|
|
cricket
Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, Praveen Kumar, Piyush Chawla...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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