Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 8 (IANS) Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said they want to make the most of their World Cup Group B match against the Netherlands here Wednesday by working on the areas which need improvement.

After three league matches, India are at the top of the group while the Netherlands are languishing at the bottom.

Dhoni said they are looking to have it easy against the Dutch, who are playing in only their fourth World Cup.

“It has been a good start for us so far. We saw a tight game, a close game and a good one. We are now looking forward to an easy game against the Netherlands,” Dhoni said on the eve of the match.

“We want to make the most of this game and especially in the departments where we want to see an improvement. We should not really be thinking about the result but the process.”

Dhoni insists there has been improvement in all departments, barring the fielding, and said that every member of the squad will get a chance to play before the knockout stage.

“One good thing is that most of the batsmen got a chance to play. We have played quite a few bowlers as well. We need to play all to see what are our options. But still the important thing is to win each and every game,” he said.

“We need to improve our bowling, especially how to dismiss set batsmen. A lot has been said of our fielding but I think the fielding would be quite the same in the tournament. I don’t see a drastic improvement in our fielding. When it comes to batting, we would see if we can be more consistent.”

There is unlikely to be a shuffle in the batting order with Dhoni preferring Virat Kohli at No.3 or 4. Also, Suresh Raina who is yet to play in the tournament so far, will continue to warm the bench.

“Maybe Virat is the only batsmen who needs to bat at number three or four. Apart from that, Yuvraj Singh, me, or Yusuf Pathan can float around and bat according to the situation and depending on the bowlers who are bowling. Virat needs to bat up the order and can perform to his potential,” he said.

“Most of the batsmen got a chance to bat but Yusuf needs to spend time in the middle. It is difficult to make place for Raina. In that case you have to request either Virat, Gautam Gambhir or Sehwag to take rest, which none of them would like to because it’s their home ground. It is quite difficult to play Raina in the next game.”

When it was pointed out that his mainline bowlers are yet to fire in the tournament, Dhoni said he is confident they will peak at the right time.

“Personally, I don’t mind who is taking the wickets or scoring the runs. What is important is the team is winning and we are playing consistent cricket. To say ‘this is the bowler who is supposed to get the wickets’ is a bit difficult because the bowlers are also under pressure,” he said.

“A lot has been said of our bowling but we are showing signs of improvement and I’m sure we will peak at the right time and the bowlers will definitely do their job.

“Also, our playing XI is bit different. A few key fast bowlers are missing. Ashish (Nehra) has been struggling when it comes to fitness. Zak (Zaheer Khan) is the only regular bowler. Munaf (Patel) has come back to the side after a long time. It’s a very different fast bowling attack. Hopefully we will have our best bowling attack by the time the league stage ends.”

Dhoni also lavished praise on Yuvraj Singh, who impressed with his maiden five-wicket haul against Ireland.

“I am a big fan of Yuvraj. He bats at number four or five. He can play aggressively or be defensive if the situation demands. He has also brilliantly filled the role of the fifth bowler.”