Bishan Singh Bedi has lashed out at India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for a 'defensive mindset' and for allowing New Zealand to draw consecutive Tests on Indian soil
Bishan Singh Bedi has lashed out at India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for a 'defensive mindset' and for allowing New Zealand to draw consecutive Tests on Indian soil.
"Dhoni is a very defensive captain. It's a misconception that he's aggressive. Firstly, he doesn't encourage spinners to toss the ball, batsmen to use their feet, always has a long on as well as a long off. Brendon McCullum made a mockery out of the attack by playing so many scoop shots.
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The former India skipper was critical of the spin duo, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha for asking the curator a reason for the lack in turn: "The ball needs to be tossed above eye level. You need a big heart to bowl in Test cricket. A couple of good balls in an over does not help," he said.
Bedi said Harbhajan's four wickets in the first innings established that the pitch had a lot more in the offing than what the end result suggests.
Asked about left-arm spinner Ojha, Bedi said: "He bowls with a very flat trajectory. I don't know who has been advising him, but it is not working," the bowler with 266 Test wickets, opined.
S Sreesanth began proceedings yesterday, bowling an uppish length with two short mid-wickets in place. Kane Williamson struck the Kerala pacer for three boundaries, forcing Dhoni to make a change. "Sreesanth's inconsistent line makes it impossible to maintain pressure on a batting team. Dhoni needs to be a little more attacking in his mindset.
"An average cricket fan must be wondering who the No 1 and No 8 Test teams are in this instance. It is high time India started behaving like the No 1 team," Bedi concluded.
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