Mumbai, Oct 24: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was cheerful and eloquent after India beat England in the fourth ODI at the Wankhede Stadium. With a commanding 4-0 lead in the five-match ODI series, the Men-in-Blue are marching towards a possible 5-0 whitewash over their English opponents.

In the post-match media conference, the skipper was spoke elaborately about his bowlers, the changes in the ODI rules and the England team. Excerpts below.

On whether one could expect a 5-0 scoreline

We will try because [as] you know in cricket, we can’t really commit to anything in advance. If we play good cricket and things go our way, we will look to [make] it 5-0. But again, as I said, the main motto is to go out there and play good cricket.

On the improved fielding standards

If we speak of this series, we have fielded very well. There are quite a few new players [who are good fielders]. Overall the fielding has been better.

On the Indian bowlers

The spinners have a done a very good job for us throughout the series. Even in this game, [in] the first over [Ravichandran] Ashwin was a bit expensive but after that he bowled brilliantly. He got a bit of spin and he has got a few variations up his sleeve [and] he uses them really well. [Also] he bowled close to three overs in the first Powerplay and three in the second Powerplay so overall he’s done a really good job. With [Ravindra] Jadeja, we all know if it starts to turn a bit he can be a very difficult bowler to handle and that’s what he showed in this game.

Varun [Aaron], like Umesh [Yadav], is someone who can bowl a bit quicker than some of the other Indian bowlers. [He was] consistently around the 140 [kmph] mark when it comes to the average speed. It’s good to see fast bowlers who are coming in and putting in a bit effort and who are a bit quicker, more than 135 kmph. It’s good; they know the conditions well. I think they need to keep improving, especially when they go abroad where they may not get the same kind of reverse swing going. It’s good to have them; we have to manage them well so they don’t get injured.

On selecting Umesh Yadav over Varun Aaron in the first three ODIs

We felt Umesh [Yadav] with a bit more experience [would have been] slightly better; that was one of the main reasons why we picked Umesh ahead of Aaron. This series is easy. [About the] England [series] we have forgotten everything [laughs].

On whether there was a specific bowling plan and Vinay Kumar’s bowling in the fourth ODI

I never go in with a specific plan. He [Vinay Kumar] went for runs in [the] first few overs so I thought let’s look to take the pace off [the ball], let’s see what the spinners are doing, whether they are getting a bit of turn or not. When he came back again he was getting a bit of reverse swing, [which] definitely helped him a lot. [He] bowled in good areas and we all know he can bowl slightly quicker, so that also helped him build pressure on the batsmen. It was not a conscious effort as I wanted to keep him till the end. If he would not have gone for too many runs in the first three overs, maybe I would have let him bowl a few more overs before bringing on the spinners.

On the conditions

[…] In the second innings there was no dew at all on the field and as the game progressed, the wicket got slower and slower. Even the English bowlers were able to get reverse swing going from one side. So without the dew and wear and tear on the wicket, it was slightly difficult to consistently rotate, especially the fast bowlers. The batsmen did a good job. If you see the first ten overs, we didn’t get too many runs but it’s important that in a game like this you don’t lose too many wickets. So I think we got off to a decent start.

On quick bowling

I know one thing – if you bowl quick it’s not like you won’t go for runs. We have seen this with some of the top bowlers of the world. It’s not only the pace that can save you. For example, you have a Praveen Kumar who doesn’t bowl quick but is smart enough to contain the batsmen and get a few wickets in the innings. It’s not about the pace but it’s good to see people who can bowl slightly quicker. When you compare [them] to some of the other bowlers, [it] gives you the option of pushing the batsmen on to the back foot. Especially if there is [a] bit of reverse swing, you can capitalise [on it] with a bit more pace. But pace is not something that will save you [from going for runs] when it comes to international cricket.

On protecting players from injuries

You can always make a routine for them, a schedule for them, but ultimately it’s up to them to follow the schedule. We can force them to some extent to follow the schedule but sports injuries do happen. The good thing is, some of these youngsters have come through NCA [National Cricket Academy] and some of the other fast bowling academies so they are used to going to the gym and taking fitness very seriously.

On whether they have got the hang of using the Powerplay and on using the new ball at both ends

It’s [been] just four or five games [since the amended rules came into play], so it will be very difficult to comment. Also, the conditions out here, it’s not like they really favour the fast bowlers. Overall you will have to see a bit more cricket played all around the world, and then you can say what kind of a difference it makes. [In the] subcontinent, the fast bowlers are still clever enough to get the reverse swing going, but not from both ends. If a spinner is bowling from one end it is difficult to get the ball swinging the other way. We will wait and watch.

As far as the Powerplay is concerned, we have been quite happy with the way we have used it in this series but it will depend on different series and on the venue and the time of the year [that] we are playing. [It is] too early right now; four or five games is not [long] enough to make a comment.

On whether England’s on-field behaviour at Wankhede was better than in the last game in Mohali

I think it was way better. A bit of chit chat is fine. Overall this game was really good. I don’t mind a few things going around because that makes cricket interesting. [It’s ok as long as] it doesn’t get too personal with any of the players. As a batsman you don’t have to say anything too personal to the bowlers and if you are the bowler, you don’t want to say anything to the batsmen. In between if something is happening, it’s good.

On whether Steve Finn apologised for his behaviour

Well, he did, yeah; he did a really good job. He came to Virat [Kohli] and said he was not really abusing him or anything like that. He got a bit frustrated going for runs.

On whether India were under less pressure now

I don’t know when was the last time that we played without any pressure. [We’re] 4-0 in the series and [still] you are trying to put pressure on the Indian side. [I] don’t know when you guys will be satisfied but again, as I said, we will try our best. I can’t really say anything [about fortunes in] cricket; we wanted to win 5-0 in England also but we couldn’t. It’s not always [about] what you want, you have to do well on the field. [Sometimes] you get the result in your favour [or] it goes against you.

On coach Duncan Fletcher

I think he is always happy. A few people think he is not happy but he is a great character to have. [He has] plenty of stories [to tell]. He is like a special agent when it comes to coaching. [He’s] always good to have. [He] entertains us, and the knowledge that he has got, especially when it comes to the basics of cricket, that will really help the youngsters. [But] he never forces [his methods] on them.

On whether he thought stadium crowds were dwindling

Well, not really if you see the amount of cricket that we have played this year and with the World Cup happening in India. People turned up for all the games and [were] emotionally involved when it came to the World Cup. We have seen [that] as the game progresses, the stadium gets almost full. It was not a jam-packed stadium out there but they also know the England strategy of batting first so they also keep it till late; they come after sunset.

On playing at the venue where they won the ICC World Cup 2011

[The] World Cup is always special. What we achieved on 2nd of April [, 2011], we will remember it throughout our life. But you have to switch on and stitch off when you are playing against a very good side. It’s important to stick to the moment. We were not thinking too much about the World Cup because we knew [this] was an important game for us and we were sticking to basics.