India Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni Rues That His Bowlers And Batsmen Failed To Perform In Tandem Throughout The Series

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said losing wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly at crucial junctures resulted in the team’s 18-run defeat against Australia in the sixth one-dayer in Nagpur on Sunday.

“We lost wickets at crucial times. First Sachin and then Sourav got out at crucial times. Also their (Australia’s) bowling at death made the difference today,” Dhoni said after the visitors took an unassailable 4-1 lead.

Dhoni also rued that his bowlers and batsmen failed to perform in tandem throughout the series.

“We did not bowl, bat and field well at the same time. Sometimes bowlers did well and sometimes batsmen. Except for the Chandigarh match, we did not click at the same time,” he said.

Gambhir a doubt for Aussie clash

Indian opening batsman Gautam Gambhir is a doubt for Monday’s fourth one-dayer against Australia due to a groin injury.

Gambhir, who slipped while batting in the nets and was helped off the pitch in pain, would undergo an MRI scan to assess the extent of the injury, batsman Robin Uthappa confirmed.

The Delhi left-hander hit three fifties in India’s surprise Twenty20 World Cup win last month, but has not reached double figures so far in the seven-match series, which Australia lead 2-0. The opening game was abandoned due to rain.

The experienced Saurav Ganguly looks set to return at the top of the batting if Gambhir is ruled out, having missed the last two games due to a hamstring injury.

Uthappa said the batsmen were to blame for the defeats.

“We let the team down,” he said.

“The batters have put their hands up and said ‘we will make amends’. It’s not pressure, but taking more responsibility.”

The Karnataka batsman said the home players had struggled to switch back quickly from Twenty20 to one-day cricket but were now ready to fight back.

India could play two regular spinners by including left-arm Murali Kartik alongside off spinner Harbhajan Singh, he said.

Uthappa denied there was a rift between senior and junior players after chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar warned on Saturday that newcomers could replace experienced batsmen Sachin Tendulkar, Ganguly and Rahul Dravid unless they quickly regained form.

“It is probably in the media,” he said. “There is nothing like that, no one feels a thing.”