The last time MS Dhoni played in Zimbabwe was way back in 2005. Just 15 ODIs old then, Dhoni was part of the tri-series also involving New Zealand. Eleven years after he toured the nation, the Indian captain will now lead an enthusiastic bunch of talented individuals for a three-match ODI and T20Is series starting June 11. It was therefore no surprise that Dhoni in his pre-departure media conference called it a “different experience”. With the selectors looking to give youngsters an opportunity to prove their mettle, the Indian squad has five uncapped players.
Dhoni said the challenge for him would be to quickly assess strengths of his players and find the right composition and combination. “You keep playing with almost the same group of players. So you almost know the roles and responsibilities and what each player’s strengths are. There will be quite a few players in this bilateral series with whom I'll be playing for the first time.
“So I have to quickly assess their strengths and at the same time according to the team composition what is the best possible slot and what is the best possible manner in which each individual can be utilized. These will be the challenges.”
He said another factor that will play an important role is of toss. “In Zimbabwe, toss is quite crucial. There are not many places in the world where you play day games. You have to accordingly adapt and use conditions to your advantage.”
The touring Indian teams have adapted well to the conditions in Zimbabwe having won 16 of the 20 ODIs. India have a prolific record with the last two tours in 2013 & 2015 resulting in 5-0 and 3-0 whitewashes. In 2013, the team was led by Virat Kohli while Ajinkya Rahane was captain the last time the Men in Blue visited Zimbabwe.
The 15 players in the squad have played a total of 83 ODIs and 28 T20Is, which is 192 ODIs and 40 T20s less than the seasoned Indian captain. Dhoni said the boys who have been rewarded for their domestic show need to step up in international cricket. “For India, it is different (from IPL). (There is a) bit more responsibility. The guys will try to prove themselves, show what talent they've got to show at the international level. Zimbabwe can be challenging at the same time.
“When it comes to talent, the squad looks good. All of them have been rewarded for their performance in domestic cricket. It will be exciting to see them on the field. Most of them are very good fielders so that’ll be good. Other than that, when you play against a player in IPL, it's not enough to get enough indication but that's not enough to make a comment on any particular player.”
Dhoni also seemed pleased with the bowling attack on paper. The fast bowling attack comprises Jasprit Bumrah, Jaydev Unadkat, Barinder Sran, Dhawal Kulkarni and all-rounder Rishi Dhawan. The spin department has options with all-rounder Axar Patel, leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and off-spinner Jayant Yadav.
While batting too has many options, Dhoni said it will be one department where he will need to brain-storm with coach Sanjay Bangar and the support staff. “Batting we have to see what is the slot that is available for a particular individual. In the Indian scenario, we have seen where you get to play in your domestic scene, it's very different when you play for the national side. According to that, you have to quickly adjust to the demands of the game. That is a good thing because you can show your adaptability. If the team needs you to bat at a particular position, how you adapt and show what you can actually do and contribute to the team's win.”
