‘Disappointed with our spinners,’ says Dhoni

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His insistence on a spinning trackboomeranging, a sheepish Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh
Dhoni today said he was disappointed with his tweakers who did not adjust their pace to exploit the pitch in the lost second cricket Test against England here.

India were handed a humiliating 10-wicket loss by the English, who were expected to struggle on the spinning track that Dhoni had asked for before the game. Instead of the host spinners, it was England's Monty Panesar who made batsmen dance to his tune and walked away with 11 wickets. On the other hand, Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook proved their class with hundreds on a track that seemed to terrorise other willow-wielders.

"Definitely outplayed. Monty bowled really well. All get turn, but the pace he bowled at made sure that the batsmen were on the front foot. To some extent, yes I am disappointed with our spinners. We let England bat on the back foot. We could have brought them forward," a disappointed Dhoni said at the presentation ceremony.

Dhoni had lambasted the opening Test pitch in Ahmedabad despite India's win and today he said his bowlers just could not get a hold over the pace to bowl at here. "All of a sudden they have to change their plan. Ahmedabad was completely different and it was a change of conditions," he said.

Dhoni said the next two Tests, starting with the game in Kolkata on December 5, would be a test of character for his team. "When two best sides are playing, series are close. It will be a test of character in the two coming games," he said.

Dhoni's rival number Alastair Cook said he has all but forgotten the disappointment of losing the toss.
"Without a doubt, it is a great win. I can't fault the effort of the lads. I could have called heads and obviously it was an important toss. The way we bowled on that first day it was fantastic," said Cook.