Big positive is Indian bowlers taking 20 wickets in South Africa, says MS Dhoni

Big positive is Indian bowlers taking 20 wickets in South Africa, says MS Dhoni

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MS Dhoni has backed the Indian team, who are 2-0 in the ongoing South Africa series, asking the critics to look at the positive bowling as the Indian bowlers successfully took 20 wickets. The former Indian skipper has revealed that he never thought of playing for any other franchise other than CSK.

Indian cricket team has been a target of the critics after two consecutive losses in the three-match Test series against South Africa. The management’s team selection and batting order’s premature collapse on both the occasions have been received with bitterness by both fans and critics. 

However, while former players haven’t minced their words in blaming Kohli and company, Team India has found support from their former captain MS Dhoni. Dhoni asked the critics to look at the positives of the series, pointing to the bowlers, who managed to take all South Africa wickets in all the four innings of the two Tests.

"I would say look at the positives. To win a Test match you need 20 wickets and we have taken 20 wickets. If you can't take 20 wickets, what is the next thing? You look to draw a Test match," Dhoni, who has retired from Tests but continues to be a part of India's limited-overs teams, said at a press conference as quoted by PTI.

India’s fiery pace attack was one of the main reasons why they were favourites to overturn their history in the rainbow nation. And they have rightly done so scalping 20 wickets on both occasions. While in the first Test, Indian bowlers wrapped South Africa for 286 and 209 respectively, they managed it for 335 and 258 on a more batting-friendly pitch of Centurion- both the times giving the batsmen a very gettable target.  

"How you can draw a Test match is by giving fewer runs and by scoring runs. If you are not able to get 20 wickets, you can't win a Test match irrespective of whether you are playing in India or you are playing outside. But that is the big positive. We are taking 20 wickets," he said. This means we are always in a position to win a Test match. Once you start scoring runs, you are there," Dhoni told reporters.

Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings are making a comeback after a two-year suspension that was forced upon them following their involvement in the 2013 IPL scandal. Ahead of the mega-auction, all the eight franchises had the chance to retain a maximum of three players, and Chennai Super Kings retained Dhoni in one breath, along with Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja. 

In the absence of CSK from the league, Dhoni had to play for Rising Pune Supergiants, but the skipper revealed that he has only thought of returning to his second home Chennai.

"I never thought of playing for any other franchise other than CSK. Chennai is my second home. Fans here have adopted me as one of their own. A lot of people approached me, I can tell you that. But I can't think of not coming back to CSK. What we have been through, how we have conducted ourselves, how the management has been. How the fans have been. This is a special place. So that thought of being in any other franchise was never a question," Dhoni said.

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