Ahmedabad, March 24: Beating four time world champions (three consecutive victories) Australia in the quarter-final in the ICC World Cup 2011 was a tough prospect, but Team India have surmounted their biggest challenge of the tournament so far creditably.

Post-match, the Indian skipper spoke to the media

Excerpts from the interview

On his thoughts after getting out with India needing 70 odd runs to win

I thought that was the last pair and these are the two guys who need to score the runs. Basically it meant that if [we played] the whole 50 overs with these two batsmen at the crease, and with Yuvraj Singh going, we would make it. But there was pressure - more than the technical aspect or the skill aspect it was managing the pressure.

On Suresh Raina’s inclusion turning out to be a master stroke

Well, we were not really able to bat fifty overs and [with] Yusuf [Pathan] what really happens, batting at No. 7 you are looking for those extra 20 odd runs but with [Suresh] Raina coming in, [he’s] technically more sound. What we wanted to do was bat 50 overs and if we batted 50 overs, we were going to be able to get those extra 15-20 odd runs. So more than the talent aspect, the choice that we had to make [was governed by that fact]. That was the main reason why we went with Suresh Raina but we all know Yusuf Pathan can be really dangerous.

On the bowling and fielding

Maybe [we gave away] 10 runs extra, we would have been satisfied with 250 odd. I thought [we] fielded the best today, the best fielders in the side did whatever they could. Yuvraj [Singh] with the ball, bat and on the field [was] very electrifying. So I thought everybody gave more than 100 percent on the field. We are not the side that will be known for fielding but I don’t think we will be able to field better than this. If we had saved those 15 runs […] which we didn’t really needed to chase at the end of the day.

On the much awaited India-Pakistan semi-final in Mohali

It doesn’t really get better, you know. The World Cup hosted by the sub-continental nations, an India-Pakistan semi-final. There will be more pressure on the Indian side. Not from inside but from outside. People say, “Win the semi-final. We don’t care about the final”. But the reality is that every game is the same for us irrespective of whether you play Australia or Pakistan in the semi-final or any other team. Finally, it’s a big part and parcel of Indian cricket and a tough job that the Indian cricketers have been managing quite well.