ODIs a Good Format to Come Back into Form, Says Elated Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was cheered on as he walked up to the dais for the post-match presentation ceremony. India won the 2nd ODI by 133 runs against England.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: August 27, 2014 11:36 pm IST
Mahendra Singh Dhoni heaved a sigh of relief after his team turned its fortunes around with a 133-run win in the second ODI against England here on Wednesday and the Indian captain said it's a "good format to come back into form" following the Test series debacle. (Match Report | Scorecard | Highlights)
Dhoni was cheered on as he walked up to the dais for the post-match presentation ceremony.
Suresh Raina smashed a belligerent 75-ball century as India began their one-day campaign on a resounding note when they trounced England by 133 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series at Sophia Gardens.
"In the next three matches we'll have more support than the England team which is unusual at times. You can't play one-dimensional cricket, it's a good format to come back into form," Dhoni said at the presentation ceremony.
"The start is always crucial, the first 10 overs was not about the runs we scored and it was important to not lose wickets. If we have a good stand after 30 overs we will double the score."
"Losing too many early wickets puts pressure on the players who play big shots and it's not always easy. Rohit and Shikhar batted well early on."
Dhoni felt there was just the "right amount of rain" to help his spinners.
England skipper Alastair Cook said his team was not upto the mark.
"We didn't play very well at all. Credit to Suresh and MS, they took the game away from us and we were slow to react. But it wasn't a 160-wicket. We didn't turn up in any of our departments. We have to dust ourselves down, come back and play better," Cook said.
Cook said there was a lot of talent in his and side and that it would make a comeback.
Man of the Match Raina said, "The wicket was really good. I thought if I batted until 45th over we could put a target on the board.
"I've seen a lot of the Test matches, I was looking forward to this game. I've worked really hard on my batting and fitness."
Put into bat, India, who are looking to put their Test 3-1 debacle behind them, rode Raina's 100 to post a challenging 304 for six in 50 overs.
As per the revised target under the Duckworth/Lewis method, England needed 295 runs in 47 overs but were bowled out for 161 in 38.1 overs.