India defend Dhoni after limp end to England chase

India team bosses yesterday defended M.S. Dhoni after the wicketkeeper-batsman came under fire for slow batting towards the end of his side’s World Cup defeat to England. Chasing a stiff target 338 to win, previously unbeaten India needed 71 runs from the last five overs of Sunday’s match at Edgbaston, with veteran big-hitter Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav at the crease.

But the pair added just 39, scrambling singles but failing to find the boundary regularly, to finish on 306-5. Dhoni was unbeaten on 42 off 31 deliveries while Jadhav was 12 not out off 13 balls. The two batsmen were criticised in the Indian press and on social media, with pundits labelling their approach as “baffling”.

But assistant coach Sanjay Bangar said the criticism levelled at the former captain surprised him, adding that 37-yearold Dhoni was “doing the job for the team”. “Except for one odd innings, he has done the role always. Five out of seven games he has done the job for the team,” said Bangar.

“If you see the earlier games, against South Africa he stitched together a partnership of 70 (the partnership was 74) with Rohit (Sharma). After that, what was required of him against Austral ia he did that.