We have to take care of the run-rate against Bangladesh: MS Dhoni

ByArun S Kaimal, SportsCafe Editor

03/22/2016

MS Dhoni has stressed on the importance of improving the net run rate, which was crippled after the big defeat against New Zealand in their first game. With Pakistan, Australia and India tied on two points each, the men in blue are in need of an emphatic win over their neighbors on Wednesday.

"I still feel there is still scope for improvement and in the coming two games that will be our priority.

"In the first game our run rate went down. So it's not only about winning but you have to take care of the run-rate at some point," Dhoni said in the pre-match press conference.

Meanwhile, Indian pacer Ashish Nehra has defended Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, who have struggled to perform in the opening two matches of the tournament in the press conference. He said, “Rohit, Shikhar have been performing. You can't judge anyone in 2-3 innings in T20s”.

The left-armer insisted Bangladesh have enough depth in their bowling lineup to deal with the absence of Arafat Sunny and Taskin Ahmed. He said, “Bangladesh have depth in the bowling. Al-Amin, Mustazifur. As for me, I'm just focusing on what I do well”.

Despite the complex situation India finds themselves in the group, Nehra insisted on taking 'one game at a time', but did stress on the importance of the game against Australia in Mohali – which could prove to be the decider.

The 36-year-old has earned a lot of praise for his performances since making his return to the side, and he said he is enjoying his current role in the side.

“I'm loving my role, responsibility. As long as the body holds up, I'll look to do well,” Nehra added.

Bangladesh on the other hand are at the bottom of Group 2, after facing two defeats in their opening two games, and will need nothing short of a miracle to qualify for the next stage. However, skipper Mashrafe Mortaza has vowed to keep fighting till the end. He said, "We will keep fighting. We still have two matches to fight hard”.

Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan also voiced similar concerns, expressing his disappointment about the loss against Australia in their last game, and revealed that he was confident of getting a positive result. He said, “Personally, I was confident about us beating Australia. I can't speak for the others”.

He also revealed that Mahmudullah will bat at No. 5 for the team, despite the absence of Tamim Iqbal, who is unwell and did not feature against the Aussies, at the top of the order. The southpaw also claimed that the toss will be a deciding factor on what he labeled as a 'very good surface'.

“Mahmudullah batted at No 5 in a few games. It's about where he best fits. Regarding Tamim, not sure what his condition is.

“This is a very good surface. Toss might play crucial part. India have a very good side. We have to be careful,” he explained.