AHMEDABAD:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni insists playing in front of a sell-out crowd will inspire his side against Australia.
The Sardar Patel Stadium has a capacity of over 48,000 and there will be few spare seats to be had when co-hosts India play the defending champions. Dhoni is well used to shouldering the burden of the hopes of billions of India supporters and the wicketkeeper-batsman said he would draw strength from the fanatical support.
“It is a big advantage,” said Dhoni. “You have 30,000 to 40,000 people coming to the ground to cheer for you. If they’re cheering for you then it definitely makes a difference. The pressure of expectation has always been a big part of the Indian team. On most occasions, the level of expectation is not set by you as an individual but is set by others.”
Matches between India and Australia have produced some of cricket’s most thrilling contests in recent times.
“In the last two to three years we have seen that India-Australia series are among the most viewed which means that the players are more intense on the field and they want to give their best.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 24th, 2011.
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