CHENNAI, (Reuters) – India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni yesterday backtracked on his comments that the Indian team are “not ready” in the lead-up to the World Cup due to the jam-packed calendar.
Dhoni had warned that India’s preparation had been hit by the rigors of constantly switching between tests, one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches in the run-up to the Feb 19-April 2 World Cup [ID: nLDE71D03D] but just 24-hours later, he made a u-turn.
“It was not fatigue at all. It is the mental preparation level… to be in the same scenario… to be 100 per cent for a (warm-up) game,” Dhoni told reporters ahead of India’s warm-up match against New Zealand today.
“We are more used to preparing for an (official) game 100 per cent and all of a sudden you have to prepare for a warm-up game which I have not played many, right from the start of my career from school cricket or district (level).“It was a different scenario and you have to prepare differently. That was the only difference and it had nothing to do with fatigue.”
Dhoni has been universally criticised for his comments made after India beat Australia by 38 runs on Sunday, with some TV channels even running headlines suggesting “India not motivated for the World Cup.”
The Indian batsmen, barring Virender Sehwag and Yusuf Pathan, failed to get going on Sunday against Australia, and the team needed a special effort from the spinners to carve out an unlikely victory.
