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Dhoni credits familiar conditions for success

Sat 29 Mar 2014, 12:13 pm

Dhoni credits familiar conditions for success
Summary

Also puts down team’s winning streak to positive dressing room environment

MS Dhoni credited the team environment for India’s fine resurgence in the World Twenty20 after having won their third consecutive match in the tournament, against Bangladesh. "A good dressing-room atmosphere and having belief in yourself and enjoying each other's success," Dhoni said. "A lot of things happen around cricket but you have to be focused when you are representing your country. That is one thing that this team has done really well. "And of course accepting the challenges, enjoying the challenges, trying to prove that you are one of the best when it comes to international cricketers. Once you are in as a batsman you want to take the team through, if you are bowling well on that particular day you want to take wickets for the team, if you are a part-timer the same things applies. It is all about the dressing-room atmosphere and we have kept it really nice." India have become the first team to qualify for the semi-final, something they failed to do in the World Twenty20 since they won the tournament in 2007. Asked if the team spoke about making the knockout stage, the Indian skipper answered in the negative. "We do not really discuss all that because one of the facts is you are supposed to play well. That is what the criteria is. If the consideration was just getting into the semi-finals, then what do you do once you reach the semi-finals? You should be happy and just stay there and say okay, we have reached the semi-finals, we don't really want to play it.” Dhoni, however, said the team entered the competition with the confidence of knowing the Bangladesh conditions well and that it suits their strength of spin. "I feel what we did was, we came in with nothing really in mind. Knew the conditions quite well,” he said. “We play in the subcontinent quite a few games, especially the IPL, so we had the right kind of exposure. We knew the kind of problems we could face when it comes to bowling and batting and we had to work on that. So again we were concentrating on the process irrespective of what format we are playing. I feel it is always the process that is very important. Once you know the problem area, you can work on it and in a tournament like this it is very important you do not expose yourself, your weak link, to the opposition too much."