MS Dhoni says the combination of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir could weaken India..
By Peter Lalor The Australian February 21, 2012 9:30AM
Liability ... Is Sachin Tendulkar a help or hindrance for India at the moment? Source: David Mariuz / AP
Sachin Tendulkar has celebrated victory in just one of the nine matches he has played in Australia this summer.
Some teammates and his captain seem to suggest this is no great surprise - at least when it comes to the 50-over format.
After Sunday's loss to Australia, skipper MS Dhoni was pretty clear about what it would cost if the veteran Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were all named in the same ODI side.
"It will affect our fielding in a big way, which means there will be more pressure on the batsmen to score those extra 20 runs," he said. "But if the middle order doesn't perform consistently well, you may have to go with the experienced guys at the top of the order."
When India won its other ODI match of the summer, Gambhir raised eyebrows with his assessment of the performance of an XI that included himself and Sehwag but not Tendulkar.
"You don't want names, you want people who can deliver," said Gambhir, named man of the match after top-scoring with 92.
"The best XI is if 11 players have the belief they can beat any opposition, and this XI had the belief they could beat Australia in Australia in this ODI. One or two individuals don't make a difference."
It was difficult to judge the impact of Tendulkar's fielding in Sunday's match as he spent much of the time in the rooms having an injury to his shin treated. When the veteran did come out to bat, he was hit in the head by a bouncer and made only three runs.
Dhoni said after the game that slower fielders cost the side a lot.
"People often talk about that one run, but that one run you save, it changes the strike, and if the next ball the batsman plays a big shot -- a six or a four -- it can have a big impact," Dhoni said. "The last few games we played, we got two or three run-outs, and that really had a big impact.
"It's not only these three players (Tendulkar, Sehwag and Gambhir) we're talking about -- we have quite a few other players who are slow on the field. It will just add on to that, and we'll be left with just two or three really good fielders.
"It's not that these fielders are bad, but for this environment and these conditions and big outfields, they're slightly on the slower side. They will be exploited.
"Once the ball goes to them, the Australians or the Sri Lankans will try to exploit the doubles or three runs. This will put more pressure on their body because the throwing needs to be good, and the diving needs to be good, so they'll be under constant pressure. Ultimately, it will be a pressure game."
The captain will not play in the match against Sri Lanka after being suspended by the ICC for slow over rates in the game against Australia.