Mumbai, December 06: Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday described India rising to world number one status in Test cricket as a dream come true but conceded that it would be a tough job to maintain the top spot.
“It was a dream come true. But what we actually do is to try and play every game well and ratings take care of themselves. It was a constant process for the last 18 months.
Whatever Test cricket we have played we have played really well. I think it’s a team effort,” Dhoni said after his team swamped Sri Lanka by an innings in the third Test to win the series 2-0 and become the world’s best Test team.
Dhoni, however, conceded that it would be difficult to maintain the top spot considering India is playing only two Tests in the next six months (against Bangladesh in Janaury next year).
“It’s a bit of a concern we are playing only two Test matches in the next six months. It will be tough for us to maintain this top position. At the same time we have done something remarkable. We would celebrate the feat rather than thinking what next should be doing (to remain on top). At the moment we would like to just be with the achievement, which is because of the whole team,” he said.
“Next we are going to Bangladesh and I don’t know when we are playing Test cricket after that. It’s good to play Test cricket. But we are here to play whatever cricket is offered to us,” he said.
Dhoni felt the side was blessed in its journey to the top by the fact that more or less the same cricketers played for the last some months without injuries.
“There were not too many injuries and the core of the team remained the same. We always played with the best squad available. It was also about planning and executing them well. It’s the result of hard work put in by individuals. It’s a constant process,” he said.
Dhoni felt the dressing room atmosphere also contributed a lot to the achievements on the field.
“I personally feel dressing room atmosphere matters a lot. It’s not that we were winning every game very easily there were instances we were on the back foot. Individuals stood up and said I will be the person who would do well in the game,” he said.
On finishing off the third Test in 35 minutes this morning, he said once the team dismissed rival skipper Kumar Sangakkara they knew they can polish off the tail before lunch.
“It was important to take Sangakkara’s wicket early today. In this Test, morning session had offered maximum help to seamers and spinners who got turn and bounce. We were waiting for that breakthrough. When we got that breakthrough we knew we would be able to finish it off in the first session itself,” the home team skipper said.
The 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman was satisfied with his team’s bowling and also felt the catching too has improved.
“It was tough for our bowlers who bowled their hearts out. They tried to get reverse swing going. Spinners came into action and even part timers got valuable breakthrough.
We have seen bowlers improving over a period of time. Especially in this game Zaheer Khan, the way he bowled in the second innings. There was not much help for the fast bowlers and he got five wickets,” he said.
“Even in the first two Tests bowlers did well. In Ahmedabad I only said the bowlers could have done better. The catching has been exceptional. Can’t really complain about the fielding. We have never been quick on the field; that’s part of our cricket,” Dhoni said.
Dhoni also praised coach Gary Kirsten as one of the best in the business.
“We had short term goals but long term goal was to be number one. But we were concentrating more on the short term goals like preparations, fitness of the players.
Kirsten is a fantastic guy to be with and he is one of the best coaches I have seen. But it was not that he came to make India number one but to help us perform better,” the Indian skipper said.
About his own 100 made in the company of number 11 batsman Pragyan Ojha, Dhoni said, “I was not looking for a hundred. What was going through my mind was to get a few more runs on the board so that we don’t bat again. If you have two days at your disposal you can look to get them out.”
“It is my third Test hundred so not many too choose. The first one at Faisalabad was special and even the one at Ahmedabad was also good. I think all of them are memorable and till I don’t have plenty of them I will remember each of them. The sixes were great and they were few of the biggest sixes I have hit in Test cricket and it feels good,” he said.
Dhoni praised Virender Sehwag for his monumental innings of 293, but cautioned youngsters that it would be foolish for them to try to play like the Delhi dasher.
“I don’t believe in ratings but he (Sehwag) is one of the greatest. He plays Test cricket in a very different way. That is the way he has played cricket and that is the way he will play cricket. I think he is one of its kind. It will be very difficult for a youngster to follow him.”
–Agencies