Every time the Indian team takes the field these days, the spotlight falls on Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his form with the bat. It has been an extended lean patch for the seasoned campaigner in the recent past and as such, there is pressure on him to step up and perform.
He has been axed from the T20I set-up, but the team management is backing him to come good in ODIs leading into the World Cup.
"His (Dhoni's) striking ability is for everyone to see. He has done it many a times before. He is extremely experienced and I'm sure given the opportunities, he will come good," India bowling coach Bharat Arun said before the 5th ODI match.
This statement is just an extension of the continuous support Dhoni has been getting from all quarters. Earlier, Sunil Gavaskar was also observed on air, that the wicket-keeper batsman is an absolute must for Virat Kohli and India in the World Cup and that there is no replacement as such.
Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, who has always been a vocal supporter of Dhoni, too said that Dhoni will come good, but also advised him to play for Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy season to fine tune his game for the World Cup as there are only a number of limited ODI matches India play.
Bharat Arun also spoke about the fitness and how the players have to pass the mandatory yo-yo test before being considered for selection.
'Anyone who is the team has to pass the fitness test'
"Fitness, with the kind of schedule that we have, is an important part of our focus. And the mark that we have kept for people to pass is not very tough. And anyone who is there in the team has to pass the fitness test," Arun said.
Speaking about the pool of fast bowlers, Arun said that it was an exciting phase to be a part of since the bench-strength of the seamers is really promising.
"India plays at least 60% more cricket than the rest of the world, and the workload has to be managed. We have a very good fast bowling quartet. And also, the bench strength is very exciting. Khaleel looks a very exciting prospect. He is sharp and has the skills to do well in international cricket," he assessed.
