Dhoni speaks after bagging Champions Trophy 2013
A one‑day match turned into a 20-over match. Players,
playing in colored clothes. What was going through your mind?
To start off, I think it's a bit unfair that in the ICC Champions Trophy
50-over format we had to play a 20-over game to find a winner. But still, I
think they needed the result.
But I think there was something for the bowlers, especially, spinners, if you
bowl the right areas you can hit the seam, getting a bit of turn, and it was
stopping a bit. So, that was the reason why we had those extra fielders and
also we wanted to put some extra pressure on their batsmen. It was very
important if it starts to turn that we have two spinners used right now. But it
was important with our main bowlers we get wickets.
What did you tell your team when they went out to field? What did you tell
them because they weren’t defending a lot? And, secondly, the we've always seen
is known as Captain Cool. Today after winning you showed the kind of emotions
you have not shown even in the World Cup.
It means a lot because you're playing against some of the best sides, and also
the kind of match that we had won. To beat England in a 130‑odd runs game is
something that's very difficult.
What was the first question? I always forget.
How did you motivate your team?
Before going in I said, let's first of all get rid of the feeling that it's a
50-over game. It's a 20-over game, and we have seen in IPL and in T20 formats,
130 runs can be a difficult target to achieve. Secondly, nobody looks to the
left of the pavilion. That’s the side that the rain was coming from. So, I said
God is not coming to save us. If you want to win this trophy, we'll have to
fight it out.
We are the number-one ranked ODI side, so let's make sure that they have to
fight for these 130‑odd runs. Don't look for any outside help.
MS, 130, like you said, was not a great total to defend. And throughout the
tournament, Trott has been the lynchpin of their batting lineup. Was that
dismissal part of the plan?
No, no, that was not planned at all.
But how important was it?
I think it was a very important wicket for us. Not only his, but Cook also the
reason being the two batsmen looked to play through the innings, and the others
rotate around them. This means, if they get a good partnership going, they can
play freely, especially if you talk about this game. You know, 130‑odd runs. If
there is a big partnership going, it becomes very difficult for us to come back
into the game.
At any stage when the match may not be played, did you think the match would
not be played? Did you ever think the tournament was missing a reserve day?
I'm not sure about it. We just come and play the tournament. I'm not too
worried about the result. That is something that the ICC needs to have a look
at. The only bad thing is that, you know, the winner was decided in a 20-over
game when it comes to a 50-over format.
Can you start thinking about the 2015 World Cup or is it still too far away
considering the team that you have? The nucleus of that team will remain one‑and‑a‑half
years from now?
Well, it's very difficult to answer as of now. People, especially players get
injured very often. Most of these players, they end up going into the 2015
World Cup, but it's too far ahead. We'll have plenty of tournaments before that
and plenty of important series, ICC event, Asia Cup and all of those series. So
I don't think we're looking too much ahead.
We've got a series against West Indies where we're going from here, and then
Zimbabwe and after that we have some fair time off to get also going, recharge
ourselves so we can avoid injuries.
When you were batting, there were two or three rain interruptions and
eventually the conditions resulted in England batting. Do you think in
circumstances like these they need to take care of ‑‑ when the other team
bats? Do they need to consider the first team that is batting? Because it was
not the same when they were batting in the conditions and the results. What do
you make of it?
First and foremost we know in games like these, toss becomes very crucial the
reason being you can see when we were batting, the good thing was it rained a
lot. It all started quite before our batsmen went in to bat, a 1030 start. We
started very late.
After that, also we went to bat and after every few overs they had to come off.
Which means, people talk about getting set, getting used to the pace and then
playing the big shots, but that was never the case. The batsmen, whenever they
felt that they were set, they could play those big strokes. They're supposed to
come out and we had 15, 20 minutes at least.
That really never allowed us to gain any kind of momentum or build the kind of
partnership that was needed. It reflected later on in the innings when the
middle-order went into bat. They played a few big shots, and it never really
paid off. It went straight to the fielders. I think it was the reason why we
ended up scoring less than we should have scored or would have like to score.
I don't think there is much that can be done. But you're right, there was a lot
of problem with those breaks. There were plenty of breaks, but I don't think we
ever gained any momentum from that.
A couple of characters on your team that have done quite well, certainly
Ravindra today and Shikhar Dhawan through the tournament?
I think Shikhar, he has just carried forward his confidence from the Test
innings that he played. He went into the IPL with an injury. But as soon as he
became fit, he was scoring freely, which I feel is very important. He's a
slightly different character, but a fun loving guy. At the same time, he backs
himself to play those big strokes that he plays.
So I think that really helped him, especially in this tournament. It's
something that he will carry forward. He'll gain a lot of confidence out of the
innings that he has played, especially over here. And that will really help the
team more often than not get off to a good start.
Jadeja is someone who keeps it very simple. Just looks for the right area and
the ball does the talking. The good part was he contributed with the bat, which
I feel is very important because he's someone who will have to bat at number
seven. Now what we have seen is you can't play with six batsmen and five
bowlers. You know, the seven number slot is very crucial, and he's the only one
out of nine that can really do that job for us.
In the 18th over, there were two wides and then two wickets. What are
you thinking after the wides? And Alastair Cook thought about that Bell
decision was very poor. You were right there. What did you see from your
angles?
I'm not really close to the television, so I don't really know, and I haven't
seen the television. But there are lots of things that happened. If you start
dreaming about stuff, then not to forget. Last time we came over here we were
playing the five ODIs. There was no ropes done. There were never any breaks to
make sure that the field was in good condition, and we paid the price. Every
time we lost the toss, we were bowling second.
So every captain has his views, and we all respect that. What was the second
one?
Ishant went for the six. The strong breeze was going across the stadium, and if
you middle the ball, very good chance that it will go for a six. And Nick's
plan was to bowl outside of which I felt Ishant struggled a bit. So I said, no,
let's get back to the original plan, you know? This wide length of delivery is
not really working for you, so we brought him back. And he bowled a slower one
and so deceived the batsman, so it worked.
As I always say, you have to see the strength of the bowler and you can't just
implore the plan because it works for the batsman, but you have to see if the
bowler can really implement that plan, because you have to see if it's strength
or not.
You led India to a T20, 50-over World Cup and now this Champions Trophy. How
different is this team from the other two? And also, is there anything more to
achieve as a captain, because you have done it in all formats in all big
tournaments? How does it feel?
I never turn up on the field to achieve something as a captain. For me, winning
the game is very important, and that is of utmost importance for us as a team.
I feel the first ICC World Cup in 2007 that we won, and this tournament that we
have won, there is a bit of similarity. There also there were quite a few ‑‑
quite a number of players who were making their comebacks into the team, so
they wanted to do well desperately and be part of the team.
The thing that is the case in this team also, there are a few who wanted to do
well and have a secondary position on the side.
The 2011 World Cup, I think it was the right mix. We had very experienced
players and some of them felt it could be their last World Cup because of age
and everything. So I think, and also the fact that it was happening in India,
we all wanted to do well because the expectation was too much. We just wanted
to express ourselves. I think the similarities between the 2007 and this team.
Take any extra pleasure from having beaten England in the final? Particular
after it was such a tough tour when you were here last time and in the Test
series?
No, opposition is just opposition for us. It doesn't really matter if we had
beaten England in the final or some of the other sides, you know, because if
you start looking at the opposition and particular teams, you want to win a
game, then you may find it difficult. But it's the same. It doesn't matter who
we have beaten, but the thing is we have beaten them quite well.
Could you talk about the over, Ashwin bowled against Eoin Morgan and how
that played a part? And you keeping him for the final over, possibly, because
I'm sure you wanted him to pull in the batting powerplay?
Well, I think, you know, the plan was to keep the spinners for the two overs of
power play. The reason being, the English conditions are really used to playing
the fast bowlers and with key fielders outside, our bowlers would have found it
quite difficult to contain the batsmen. So I thought with a bit of turn and
with the left‑right combination going in, it would be good to keep the spinners
for the last two or three overs at least. They would have to play those big
shots.
But for that it was very important that our fast bowlers bowled really well, so
that we have more than eight or nine runs in the last two or three overs. I
think we gave up a few deliveries from which they could score, the fast
bowlers. But apart from that, the middle overs they came in here and bowled
really well. And that really kept the pressure going.
As far as the last‑minute concern, the three overs that he initially bowled,
once Ian came in, we said, let's look to put pressure on him and see if he
plays a bat stroke or two, we can go after Ashwin, and there is a very good
chance that he may get out. At that point if we had gotten him out, the game
would have been slightly easier for us.
You left India after a dramatic news conference. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit
Sharma. How do you think things have planned out fair right from that day and
the changes that you've done? Would you say you're disappointed with the start
and with the whole team changes and the new faces from that day?
That's a difficult one to answer because we are talking about some really big
names who have proven themselves over the years. But also it was important that
we have a look at some of these new guys and give them an opportunity, you
know? Because most of them they have earned their places on the side, and it
was important to get a good outing. That's what we have done so far.
I'm glad that all three of them accepted the responsibility that was given.
They took it as a challenge. That's why as far as Rohit is concerned, we all
know how talented he is. He's proven he's batted really well in difficult
conditions. And at times people said winning the toss was very important. The
second, by the time we went into bat, the wicket had eased out a bit. But in
reality, you know, they batted so well that it seemed that not much was
happening.
But I think we need to give credit to them. At times in India, we have seen we
just give the credit to the opposition. But I think they batted really well,
both Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma to give us that good start that was
needed.
So I think it was very important start for us, and that really kept us going
into the tournament.
