First ODI today
Napier: MS Dhoni ruled out experimenting too much with his settled team against New Zealand but said the five-match series should serve as good exposure to some of his players before the World Cup.
Since Yuvraj Singh is not in the side, there is a question mark over the number four spot in the batting order. Dhoni was non-committal about Suresh Raina coming up the order, a role he did not perform with much success against Australia in October.
“We will see what suits us best and then we will move ahead. As of now, after the Greg Chappell era, experimentation is something we have done away with. We don’t really change too many things anymore. We will give chances to a few players and hopefully they will rise up to the occasion and accept the challenges that they are pushed into,” Dhoni said on Saturday ahead of the series-opener on Sunday.
The skipper said the series will be good for experience since the World Cup will be hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand.
“It’s good exposure for our players who have not played in New Zealand before. In the bowling department particularly, there are some new additions to the squad. When you are exposed to different conditions, you work hard on your game.
“So it will be a good experience for them. In turn, it will be good for the team because we will have players who have already played in these conditions and particularly at venues where we will be playing the 2015 World Cup. So it should be a good tour for us,” said the captain.
India arrived in New Zealand almost a full week ahead of the first ODI and it gave them ample time to prepare for the tour comprising five ODIs and two Tests.
“Our preparation has been good. We have also looked into each and every aspect of our game, not only batting and bowling, but also fielding because it will play a vital role,” Dhoni pointed out. (PTI)
