India vs Australia: Mahendra Singh Dhoni Says Team Needs 'Brave' Youngsters
Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the exposure of young players like Barinder Sran, Manish Pandey and Gurkeerat Mann so far may not be a clear indication of their talent but they have shown character to fight
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels there is nothing unfair about putting up youngtsers like Barinder Sran, Manish Pandey, Gurkeerat Mann against a rampaging Australia as the team needs a "brave" bunch of young players. (MS Dhoni Slams Fielders for Below Par Performance Against Australia)
India have already conceded a 0-3 lead in the ODI series to Australia after going down in Melbourne as well. The youngsters have not quite made a resounding impact but by Dhoni's own admission, it is too early to judge them on performance. (Virat Kohli's Ton Goes in Vain, Australia Ride on Glenn Maxwell 96 to Take Unbeatable 3-0 Lead)
Sran has been decent in his three outings so far, bagging three wickets in the process. Pandey came in to bat at 276/4 with four overs left in the Brisbane ODI. Despite his Indian Premier League (IPL) showings, he is not a slam-bang cricketer and yet had to go for it, managing 6 runs off 5 balls in the end. (Mahendra Singh Dhoni Says Public Interest Litigation Needed to Review His Captaincy)
"If you are getting a chance to play for your country, irrespective of the situation, it isn't unfair. As captain that's what you have to communicate to these youngsters," said Dhoni in Melbourne, the venue of the third ODI.
"There is a lot of scrutiny and players who tend to bat at nos. 5 or 6, they tend to think of surviving till the end and show off as if they are hitting, remain not out in the end and are happy with it. That's not the kind of culture you want in the team."
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'Youngsters Have Shown Character'
Dhoni said the exposure so far may not be a clear indication of their talent but their character is certainly revealed.
"When it comes to these youngsters, Pandey in the last game and today with Mann and Dhawan, there was no hesitation of playing a big shot. When you play tough games, it gives you more experience than playing just a normal ODI. This is what has happened with them.
"You can't really judge their performances because they have only batted 12 to 15 balls. But you can judge their character based on those few deliveries.
"That is something you have to encourage, and at the end of the day the captain and the selectors have to look at that specifically. Because it tells you a lot about the character of these individuals, and you want brave people in the side. Winning and losing keeps happening, but you want good characters in the side," the skipper added.
'Fielding Not up to The Mark'
While it was about scoring a few more runs in the first two games, much about the defeat in the third ODI was to do with fielding. At the same time the bowlers weren't left alone either.
"If you see the squad for this series, it is a relatively inexperienced bowling lineup. Ishant Sharma has played a lot of international cricket but he is not someone who has been consistently part of the format. Umesh Yadav has been on and off and there are others who have made their debuts here," said Dhoni.
"So we have to assess right now is how good the individuals are and what are they doing and what's their rate of development. I have always said that you have to groom youngsters. We won't find the complete product and we have to groom them, make them play and you will that they will service the team for a long time."