London, Aug 22:Known to take success in his stride without being overwhelmed, India captain MS Dhoni reacted to the 4-0 Test series loss with equanimity. While pointing out that the team was struck by injuries to some of their key players, the skipper was confident that the series taught the side some valuable lessons.

The captain believes that the fight that the team put up in the last two days of the final Test points to a more evenly contested ODI series that follows the single T20I to be played on August 31.

Excerpts from Dhoni’s post-match media interaction:

On remembering the mistakes committed by India in the Test series and learning from them

It is very important because you learn a lot from the mistakes that you make and hopefully we won’t commit the same kind of mistakes in the coming series. Not to forget, this is a series loss after a long time which meant that it is something that feels very different. This is what makes life very interesting; it is always challenges and not success that you get throughout. I think the team has learnt a lot out of this and specially the youngsters who have been part of the side.

On whether the team was underprepared

You mean undercooked a bit. It’s quite difficult because the last six weeks we have been here, maybe for the first Test we were not prepared enough. But in between I thought we got enough time to prepare ourselves. If you are not winning games and you have lost the first two [matches], the pressure keeps on mounting. So it’s also about handling the kind of pressure that’s on the side. It’s a bit of everything; we lost two bowlers in the first two Test matches; then we lost Gautam [Gambhir] in one of the innings and then in this Test match. So overall, what all could have gone wrong definitely went wrong for us.

On his way of handling the pressures of captaincy and working on his individual performance

It is important to perform, especially as a leader because you want to be at your best. At times you are under pressure but what is important is to concentrate on the job [and] not look at the profile of being the captain. Once you are in the dressing room, more often than not you are just another individual. [I] just try to channel the pressures in the right direction so that an appropriate individual tries to do his best to get the pressure out of the side. There are crucial decisions that you need to make as [a] leader but apart from that [the] leader is a part of the side like any other player.

On looking ahead at the forthcoming ODI series and the fresh young players who have joined the team

That’s what is needed at this point of time. We will have close to six or seven players joining us. 50-over cricket is a bit different; you have to be at your best on that particular day. Fielding is a very important part and especially with the youngsters coming in, the fielding department will really do well over the next five ODIs that we are going to play. Hopefully we will have time before the first game so I think we should be at our best.