By Abhishek Roy, IANS
Bangalore : It will be difficult to switch from the Twenty20 format to the 50 overs game, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on the eve of the first of the seven-match Future Cup series against Australia here Saturday.
“Twenty20 is tricky because it is short and you have to make quick adjustments. But 50 overs is a long match where you have to make some intelligent changes, which can change the complexion of the game,” said Dhoni, after the team’s practice session at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
This will be the first big test for Dhoni, who took over the one-day captaincy from Rahul Dravid, after leading his team to triumph at the Twenty20 World Championship. The challenge for the Ranchi lad this time will be to get the best out of the senior players.
Three former captains, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid will be playing under a young Dhoni.
“It is good to have senior players in the side. Because wherever I look I will have senior heads to guide me in this tough series. It is a very important series and their experience will always help me,” Dhoni said.
Asked whether he would change the team even at the cost of the three seniors, Dhoni said: “It is not about individuals. The team’s need should be given the first priority. I bat at No.6 because the team needs me.”
Dhoni also didn’t give any quarter to the psychological war started by Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who will not be available for the first match.
“We know how the Australians play when they come here or when we go there. I only want to say that I have come here to play some good cricket and not to have a chat with them,” said the Indian captain.
Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik was hit by the ball under his right eye during catching practice. Dhoni, however, said it was too early to judge the injury.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has announced a cash prize of Rs.1 million for Robin Uthappa and Rs.500,000 for bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad, who were a part of the Twenty20 team.