INDIA must raise their intensity with barely three days to go before the World Cup gets under way, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said in Chennai today.
India, strong favourites to win the showpiece tournament, stuttered in their warm-up game against defending champions Australia in Bangalore on Sunday (February 13) before pulling off an unlikely 38-run win.
The Indians take on New Zealand in their second and final practice match tomorrow in Chennai ahead of their tournament opener against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Saturday (February 19).
“Of course we did not have a very good game against Australia,” Dhoni said.
“We needed a partnership but that did not happen and we could not score big.
“The lower-order helped and added some 45-odd runs. But at 214 we did not have a par score on the board. We want to score more runs in the warm-up and try various bowling options.
“We need to pick up intensity as we progress into the World Cup.”
Dhoni said the performance of spinners in the game against Australia had opened up his options.
Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, a surprise inclusion in India’s squad, picked up 4-31 in nine overs and off-break bowler Harbhajan Singh took 3-15 from five.
“We have a very good side,’ said Dhoni. “That is what I have said always. I don’t believe in comparisons. We have a mix of players who are very good.
“But obviously what we have on paper is not important, it is what we do on the field which matters. We need to see what the conditions are and pick our best eleven accordingly.”
Dhoni said bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan would be rested for tomorrow’s warm-up to allow him to be fresh for the tournament opener. The left-arm paceman had missed out on the Australia game as well.
“He has a very mild groin strain. It is nothing to worry about. It is just that we want to give him rest. He will definitely play against Bangladesh.”
The Indian skipper, leading the side for the first time in a World Cup, also said his team will treat New Zealand with respect despite their recent poor form in one-dayers in the sub-continent.
“They don’t depend on any one particular player. They have some very talented players. When we talk about New Zealand we talk about their contributive effort rather than singling out players.”
India, winners in 1983, are placed in Group B with England, South Africa, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, the West Indies and Ireland.
