I focus on process rather than result: MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni

Indian captain MS Dhoni has stated that he focuses on the process of improvement rather than on the results. His statement comes a day after India lost yet another overseas Test series – this time in New Zealand.

Dhoni said, “I am someone who speaks more about the process rather than thinking about the results. If you compare those two series (8-0) with the last couple we have played, there is plenty of improvement. That’s what it’s all about.’

He further emphasized: “It is very important to statistically say this is what has happened and this is where we have improved. But overall if you see our performance has been good. Continuing from South Africa, here also wickets in both Tests turned out to be flatter side. But our bowling performance here was really good. Overall the performance has improved – how we have performed, how we have improved our bowling, how we have handled the opposition bowling. We can improve our batting further and that is one area where I think there will be improvement.”

India are now winless in the last 14 overseas Tests, and MS Dhoni has come in for some severe criticism for the lacklustre performances of the team. His defensive tactics has affected the team on a number of occasions now, and it is compounded by the inability of the bowlers to deliver the breakthroughs.

He added, “It is more important to improve as cricketers than just scoring runs and that is what we wanted our batsmen to achieve from these two tours. As a batting unit we have done well and we have shown improvement. But it is important to be more consistent. All batsmen have got one good innings in last four Tests. If we can convert that to two or three in four tests, then overall the situation of team will improve.”

India’s next assignment is the Asia Cup in Bangladesh, scheduled to begin on February 25. Despite the recent struggles, India go into the tournament as the favourites, as the conditions suit MS Dhoni and his men.

He concluded by saying: “We haven’t really capitalised on any positions of strength on this tour, or even in the Test series in South Africa. You want to improve to a stage where the good starts become better starts and then you capitalize on them. There are lots of positives from these two tours and we have important tours to England and Australia coming up later in the year. It is vital that we gain from this exposure.”