MIRPUR, June 17 (PTI): It�s been six months since Mahendra Singh Dhoni quit Test cricket but the manner in which he used to approach the shorter format �would not change� as his philosophy is to adapt as per the demands of the situation.
Questioned if his approach has changed at all, Dhoni responded in negative.
�No, it will be quite the same because what�s important is for the team to win. And we will have to see what kind of roles and responsibilities suit the individuals playing in the XI, and accordingly, we will decide. Being adaptive and constantly looking to improve is something that�s important at the international level,� Dhoni said today at the pre-match press conference on the eve of the first ODI against Bangladesh, here tomorrow.
�The regime is still the same. As I said it�s the demand of the game. Its not about me but as to what the team demands from me and what the situation is when I go into bat. So it will still be the same. It also depends on where I am batting. If I am batting at 5 and 6, the demands are very different compared to if I am batting at 3 and 4,� Dhoni said.
Recently Dhoni trained at Delhi�s National Stadium for a day under local coach M P Singh.
�Let us not make it complex. It�s a small thing that keeps on going. It�s a lot to talk about but it�s very basic and very simple. You can have your own idea,� the skipper said.
While the target is to win the series but Dhoni also stressed on the importance to switch off during rain-breaks as it can hamper the momentum.
�Our target first and foremost is to win the series by taking one game at a time. That is something that makes our job slightly easy. Because there is also chance of rain, so it is important to remain focussed.
�If we gather some kind of momentum, it�s important that we switch off at the right time with the rain break. And once the time comes for us to switch on, we should be able to do that and try to get as many runs as possible.�
The Uttar Pradesh left-hander will be one of the mainstays of Indian batting�s middle-order alongside his captain Dhoni and Kohli.
Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma automatically fill in the openers� slot with the consistent Ajinkya Rahane beefing up the top-order. The all-rounder�s slot could go to Ravindra Jadeja while Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashwin and Mohit Sharma are expected to form the bowling attack.
The team management might also explore the options of trying out Stuart Binny or Dhawal Kulkarni in at least one of the games.
While the numero uno spot is beyond reach, Dhoni�s side can reduce leader Australia�s advantage to 10 points should it sweep the series three-nil. In that scenario, Bangladesh will slip to ninth position on 96 points. If India win the series 2-1, they will remain on 117 points, while a 2-1 loss will place them along- side New Zealand on 115 points.
Considering the improvements Bangladesh made in ODIs in recent times, India cannot afford to take their opponents for granted.
The Tigers have whitewashed Zimbabwe and Pakistan and appear a very settled unit in 50-over format.
Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who celebrated his ODI debut by running through India�s batting order with figures of five for 28, will be keep to produce a similar effort. He took three for 69 in that World Cup quarter-final defeat.
Besides, they have the likes of Mashrafe Mortaza and Tamim Iqbal, who have been consistent performers for the side, and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
Mushfiqur Rahim is Bangladesh�s highest-ranked batsman in the ICC rankings at 18th position, and he will also look to shoulder some of the batting responsibility, provided he recovers from his finger injury. Otherwise, it will be the uncapped Litton Das, who will be asked to keep wickets.
The 25-year-old Rubel Hossain, who was the star performer in the team�s famous World Cup win over England with a two-wicket burst, is also in the fray.
Teams (from): India: MS Dhoni (captain), Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Stuart Binny, Dhawal Kulkarni.
Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain, Rony Talukdar, Mustafizur Rahman, Litton Das.
