Ahead of series decider, Team India fights rifts
NEW DELHI: Ahead of Thursday's crucial final Test against England in Nagpur that will decide the outcome of the series, Team India was battling perceptions that it was a deeply divided house with certain key players unhappy with MS Dhoni's leadership.
Speculation of a widening rift in the team intensified after former selector Mohinder Amarnath questioned Dhoni's place in the Test team on Tuesday and followed that up on Wednesday saying Virat Kohli was his choice for captain during the ODI tri-series in Australia.
BCCI sources, however, stoutly denied there was any rift in the side. Sources said the board was upset with Amarnath for his "irresponsible" comments at a time when the team is going into the battle with the aim of levelling the series against England.
The visitors are 2-1 ahead in the four-Test series.
Some players, however, complained about Dhoni's "individualistic" style of functioning.
A batsman who had recently gone through a lean patch told TOI that the team's morale was low and Dhoni had done little to lift it. The team needed new ideas, he said.
Another top batsman accused Dhoni of playing favourites. "Dhoni's bad form at the moment also seems to be affecting his leadership," he said.
A source revealed the team meeting before the third Test at Kolkata did not last for more than five minutes. "Dhoni did not speak at the meeting and left it to coach Duncan Fletcher to give the boys a pep talk," the source said.
Meanwhile, speaking in Dhoni's defence, some players admitted that the captain did not speak much with his players but said his leadership qualities were not in doubt.
They said Dhoni too had issues with some players. He was unhappy that certain senior cricketers were unavailable due to injuries when India got thrashed in England last year. There is also a feeling that senior players did not take responsibility for the team's bad show in Australia.
Dhoni, sources said, had complained to the BCCI about some seniors "chickening out" of the series in England feigning injury because they didn't have enough runs and wickets under their belts.
"At the end of the day, the captain is only as good as his team, so why blame him alone," one of the junior players in the team said.
Speculation of a widening rift in the team intensified after former selector Mohinder Amarnath questioned Dhoni's place in the Test team on Tuesday and followed that up on Wednesday saying Virat Kohli was his choice for captain during the ODI tri-series in Australia.
BCCI sources, however, stoutly denied there was any rift in the side. Sources said the board was upset with Amarnath for his "irresponsible" comments at a time when the team is going into the battle with the aim of levelling the series against England.
The visitors are 2-1 ahead in the four-Test series.
Some players, however, complained about Dhoni's "individualistic" style of functioning.
A batsman who had recently gone through a lean patch told TOI that the team's morale was low and Dhoni had done little to lift it. The team needed new ideas, he said.
Another top batsman accused Dhoni of playing favourites. "Dhoni's bad form at the moment also seems to be affecting his leadership," he said.
A source revealed the team meeting before the third Test at Kolkata did not last for more than five minutes. "Dhoni did not speak at the meeting and left it to coach Duncan Fletcher to give the boys a pep talk," the source said.
Meanwhile, speaking in Dhoni's defence, some players admitted that the captain did not speak much with his players but said his leadership qualities were not in doubt.
They said Dhoni too had issues with some players. He was unhappy that certain senior cricketers were unavailable due to injuries when India got thrashed in England last year. There is also a feeling that senior players did not take responsibility for the team's bad show in Australia.
Dhoni, sources said, had complained to the BCCI about some seniors "chickening out" of the series in England feigning injury because they didn't have enough runs and wickets under their belts.
"At the end of the day, the captain is only as good as his team, so why blame him alone," one of the junior players in the team said.
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