Manchester: India skipper Virat Kohli put Thursday his weight behind under-fire Mahendra Singh Dhoni, describing him as a legend of the game whose keen understanding and experience has held the team in good stead.
Dhoni faced criticism for his failure to rotate the strike against Afghanistan spinners and even against the West Indies, the former India skipper initially found the going tough before he got 16 in the final over to finish on 56 off 61 deliveries and take India to 268 for seven.
“Dhoni knows exactly what he wants to do in the middle. When he has an off day here and there, everyone starts talking. We always back him. He has won us so many games,” Kohli said after India defeated West Indies by 125 runs here.
“The best thing about having someone like him is when you need those 15-20 runs he knows exactly how to get them. His experience, eight out of 10 times has come good for us. He has a keen understanding of the game. Always sends us feedback, that you know 260 is a good score. He’s a legend of the game. We all know that,” added Kohli.
India dethroned England to rise to the top of ODI rankings Wednesday and Kohli said he is happy with his team’s overall performance.
“I can’t complain, we just became No. 1 as far as rankings are concerned. To be honest, we are playing that way for a while and need to continue that way. Things haven’t gone our way with the bat in the last two games, but we have still done well to win, that has been the most pleasing thing,” the Indian skipper said.
Kohli scored two successive fifties in difficult conditions – a 67 off 63 balls against Afghanistan and 72 off 82 balls against the West Indies, Thursday.
“I am happy with my own contribution. We were in a similar situation today (150 odd for 4), but getting close to 270 was crucial. Last game, we didn’t calculate well, we lost two quick wickets, but today (Thursday) we improved,” said the India skipper, who was adjudged the man of the match for his crucial knock.
“I look to play in my own way, happy to take the ones and twos which I think is a big factor in ODI cricket. Two difficult pitches, I’m happy with my contribution and look forward to doing more of the same in the future,” Kohli added.
Kohli also praised Hardik Pandya (46 off 38 balls) and Dhoni for taking India to a competitive total.
“Hardik played really well and MS finished strongly. When those two play in that way, we always get to a good total. To get to 270 was good, that put pressure on their batting and was very difficult to chase,” Kohli pointed out.
“I don’t need to tell anything to my batsmen, they have to adjust according to their strengths and weaknesses and play according to the pitch,” Kohli asserted.
West Indies skipper Jason Holder blamed his side’s inconsistent batting for their loss.
“I thought the bowlers did a fantastic job on this surface. Just let ourselves down with the bat. In hindsight, Dhoni’s (stumping) miss a crucial moment. We should have availed of that,” Holder said.
The West Indies skipper blamed his side’s fielding and batting for their exit from the tournament.
We let ourselves down significantly in this tournament. Batting was too inconsistent. Bowlers had a reasonable campaign, can’t fault their efforts. Fielding and batting definitely has to improve,” added Holder.
PTI