WELLINGTON: India’s first Test series win in New Zealand in 41 years is a big achievement but it set a benchmark that future teams would have to live up to, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Tuesday.
“You have set the benchmark and the next time you come to New Zealand, people expect you to win,” Dhoni told reporters. “We have achieved something that is big, but the tough part is to maintain it.
“It’s never easy for cricketers. If you have not achieved something there is pressure to do so. Once you have achieved something then there is pressure to sustain it. Nothing is easy. I think it will be tougher for the next guys who come here.”
Though India comprehensively outplayed New Zealand in the first and third Tests, Dhoni was diplomatic when asked if he felt the 1-0 result was a fair reflection of their efforts.
“It’s not what you are getting out of it, it’s how much effort you put in and what you wanted to achieve,” he said.
“3-0 is what you always look for, because there is nothing beyond that. But you have to be comfortable with your target and what you want to achieve.”
Team effort
Dhoni said one of the pleasing aspects of the tour had been the development of the side throughout, and the fact it had been a team effort rather than relying on one specific player.
“Everybody contributed ... each and every batsman scored at some point and the same with the bowlers,” he added.
“The wickets were on the flatter side, not much for the bowlers, so they had to keep changing their plans and improvising at times and the same applied with the batsmen.
“It was a very good team effort.”
However, he did have some special words for opening batsman Gautam Gambhir and pace bowler Zaheer Khan, who were both at the forefront of the series win.
“Both of them, they keep on improving each game they play,” said Dhoni. “They look to improve. They raise the bar wherever they are performing.”
Gambhir blossoms
Gambhir was the top performing batsman of the tour, despite having only cemented his place in the Test side after a strong series against Sri Lanka in the middle of last year and a barrage of runs since.
His second innings 137 in the second Test in Napier guided India to the safety of a draw after New Zealand ran up a massive 619 for nine in the first innings and dismissed the visitors for 305 in their first knock.
By the end of the Test series, he had accumulated 445 runs at an average of 89.0, eclipsing the effort of Sachin Tendulkar who finished with 344 runs at an average of 68.8.
Master off-spinner Harbhajan Singh finished the series with 16 wickets at an average of 21.37 runs per wicket. His best innings saw him grabbing six wickets for just 63 runs.
Left-arm pace bowler Zaheer was second in India’s bowling ranks, garnering 13 wickets at an average cost of 30.76 runs in the three-Test series, including a best performance of five for 65 in New Zealand’s first innings in Wellington.
Praise for Zaheer
“Zak (Khan) has been brilliant for the last two years. He has bowled well everywhere, not only in India,” Dhoni said.
“He helps the other bowlers and it has been fantastic to see the way he has bowled, whether the wicket is helping him or not.”
Dhoni also praised the work of the lower order batsmen, who were instrumental, particularly in Wellington where India was 204 for six in its first innings before a late rush of runs took them to 379.
“The lower order contribution was very important because that really takes the morale of the team up, and whenever it was needed from them, the lower order really contributed.”
