Dhoni Said Sweep Series 5-0

Need to be more consistent: Dhoni

The resounding success in the ODI series against England is satisfying but that puts the onus on India to perform more consistently, said captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni after winning the fifth and final match here on Tuesday.

“As a team you realise the weakness in the side and the areas to work on. After the loss against England (NatWest Series in September) we knew the weak areas and we worked on them to win here,” Dhoni said. “But we cannot stop here. We have to be more consistent and have to concentrate on the areas that are still weak, especially our bowling,” he said.

Dhoni said that the series win against England happened mostly because the spinners did well. The performance of the fast bowlers was not up to expectations and that was one area to work on, said the captain.

“The fast bowlers did not bowl well, especially in the first 10 overs where they need to contain the opposition. It will remain a worry for us at other venues where the spinners will not be able to get turn,” Dhoni said.

About his own batting he said the demands of the game specify that he should bat at No. 6, because that was the position at which he was needed most.

England skipper Alastair Cook said the loss in the last match against India was a “bit of a shock” especially in the manner in which his team gave the match away from a commanding position.

“We have been losing a lot of these games. The bowlers did quite well but our batting has not been good. I am not sure why it is happening. Maybe it is inexperience,” Cook said.

About losing the series in India, Cook said his players, most of whom are young, could not adjust to the conditions. “They (India) struggled in our conditions and we struggled in theirs,” he said.