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We're not looking too far ahead: MS Dhoni

India are a loss away from just their third bilateral one-day series defeat since 2006, but MS Dhoni was not letting the pressure get to him

Cricinfo staff
07-Nov-2009
India's middle order needs to support the top  •  Getty Images

India's middle order needs to support the top  •  Getty Images

India are a loss away from just their third bilateral one-day series defeat since 2006, but MS Dhoni was not letting the pressure get to him. India surrendered a 3-2 series lead in Hyderabad, where they fell three runs short of a target of 351, to arrive in Guwahati needing to win to prevent their first bilateral series defeat since Australia toured two years ago.
"It [the Hyderabad loss] was hurting and disappointing. But we have left everything in the dressing room," said Dhoni. "We have two more games to go and that's what count now. Whatever has happened has happened. You cannot change much about it. It's important to concentrate on what lies ahead and stay fresh mentally.
"Every game was a pressure game in the series and the remaining two games also. Our first priority is to be in the series, so we have to win the next game and not looking too far ahead."
India's middle order has not produced a lot of runs over the last two matches and that was a major factor in their current series position. As he most always does, Dhoni patted back criticism of two bad outings from the middle order, himself included. "We rely on a good start but every now and then your openers don't score and the pressure comes to the middle order," said Dhoni. "This is one of the series where the middle order has not performed consistently.
"It's not a worrying thing. But of course it's good if we get a good start so that the middle order and lower order capitalise on that."
The young allrounder Ravindra Jadeja has bowled decently in the series as support to Harbhajan Singh but has not done much with bat, prompting questions of his viability in the side. Yet without an alternative allrounder option in the squad Dhoni backed Jadeja to perform. "He is doing well but when it comes to selection, we don't speak too much about it," he said. "But every individual, if he is doing well he deserves a chance to be in the side. Jadeja is bowling well, as series goes he will turn up more as a batsman."