Sydney, Feb 25 (IANS) India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni Saturday said it was time to end the rotational policy for the remainder of the tri-series and best eleven will take the field against Australia in a must-win tie here Sunday.
“We have three genuine openers. I see no good reason why I should send in a pinch-hitter. All three score at a brisk pace, they are good at hitting boundaries and also with rotating the strike,” said Dhoni ahead of the match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
“There is no requirement of a pinch hitter when all three are playing,” he added.
Dhoni, citing the example of Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene, said if the top-order can spend some more time at the crease, a big score can be achieved. Jayawardene, who is opening the innings, has scored 61, 45 and 85 in the last three matches that Sri Lanka won.
“The game has changed slightly with two new balls, one from each end. If the top order can spend more time and we have wickets in hand later, we could look to accelerate,” he said.
Dhoni said India will play to its strength.
“That should be the mantra as of now. It’s not been great going for us so far. Our strength is different from Sri Lanka and Australia. Sticking to your own strength is really important. It’s important to keep learning from each and every game, especially in the areas where we have to improve as a side. It’s important we don’t repeat the mistakes we have been making as a team. It would help us do well,” he said.
