Our bowling combination will be 3 pacers and 2 spinners: Dhoni
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on the eve of the first ODI against Australia at Perth that India will most likely go into the match with the three seamer–two spinner combination. Dhoni explained the strategy as the result of the lack of a genuine all-rounder in the squad.
Even with the presence of Himachal Pradesh fast bowling all-rounder Rishi Dhawan in the squad, the Indian captain talked about the lack of genuine all-rounders effectively ruling out the 25-year old’s chance of an ODI debut at WACA.
"Most likely it will be three-two he said. Because we don't really have a seaming all-rounder so most likely it will be a three-two combination. Who are the players, we will wait and watch," said Dhoni in the press conference.
Dhoni also
"Shami is someone who can bowls with the new ball, in the middle overs and at the death. It's always good to have that kind of a bowler and it's sad to lose him. As far as the newcomers are concerned, we will definitely feature them in the tournament," Dhoni added.
When asked about the choice between Gurkeerat Singh Mann and Manish Pandey for the No.6 slot vacated by Suresh Raina, the skipper refused to reveal any names for the spot.
"We have to pick one of the two to bat at No 6 and we have to see which batsman fits that slot. It is a very difficult position to bat. It will depend on what the top four or five batsmen have done, and according to the need of the game, we'll make a call. But ideally, Nos 5 or 6 is a slot where it's good to have individuals, who can adapt and who are not rigid about their batting slots," the skipper added.
The 34-year old also dwelled into the differences between the domestic circuits in both countries in producing ready-made talents. Dhoni opined that India is not producing ready-made talents compared to Australia.
"If you see what makes life easy for an international team is the kind of domestic cricket… if you see the Australian first-class cricket, it is very good, which means the players who come up from the ranks of domestic cricket or first-class cricket have already got
(Read: Australia vs India - first ODI Preview: India set to face new-look Australia at WACA opener)