India can beat Australia, says Dhoni
India can beat Michael Clarke's struggling team and win their first
Test series in Australia if they play to their potential, skipper
Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Monday.
"The team is looking good and can beat Australia," Dhoni told
reporters in Chennai ahead of the squad's departure for four Tests and a
triangular one-day series also featuring Sri Lanka.
"I will focus on our strengths and weaknesses and hope for results on
the field. We are more concerned about where we need to work on and not
worry about what kind of opposition we are playing."
Comments
Dhoni's comments came on the day when Clarke's Australians lost the
second Test by seven runs against New Zealand in Hobart, their first
loss against the Kiwis at home in 26 years.
The defeat was also Australia's third in eight Tests under Clarke's
captaincy.
India will be playing their first away Test series since losing all
four matches in England in July-August that cost Dhoni's men their
number one Test ranking.
Dhoni hoped the players will remain fit for the Australia series,
unlike in England when key stars like Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag and
Harbhajan Singh were sidelined.
Zaheer and Sehwag are back for the tour, while Harbhajan was axed due
to poor form.
First batch
The first batch of players - Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar,
Venkatsai Laxman, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Umesh Yadav and
Wriddhiman Saha - is already in Australia preparing for the tour.
The remaining players in the 17-man squad, including Dhoni, are due
to leave early Tuesday.
India open the three-month tour on December 15, with two practice
matches in Canberra ahead of the first Test starting at the Melbourne
Cricket Ground on December 26.
The remaining Tests will be played in Sydney, Perth and Adelaide.
The Tests will be followed by two Twenty20 internationals, before Sri
Lanka join in for a one-day tri-series from February 5.
India's Test squad for Australia:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag (vice-capt), Gautam
Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatsai Laxman, Virat Kohli,
Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin,
Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar,
Abhimanyu Mithun.
Coach: Duncan Fletcher.
CHENNAI, India, Wednesday (AFP) -
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