Poor field placements behind Hauritz’ thrashing in India Test series: Dhoni

SYDNEY - Indian skipper MS Dhoni has said that Australian spin bowler Nathan Hauritz may have done better in the Test series against India with shrewder field placings.

Dhoni in a way seconded Australian legend Shane Warne’s criticism of Ponting’s field placement for Hauritz during Test series against India. Hauritz struggled to make an impact during the two Tests, and was treated with outright contempt when it mattered most on the final days at Mohali and Bangalore.

Warne sent a series of Tweets during the fifth day of the second Test criticising the fields Ponting had set for off-spinner Hauritz, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

“Indians are considered among the best players of spin bowling and at the same times the wickets we had in the Tests were not classic turning tracks,” Dhoni said.

“So you didn’t just need to bowl in the right areas, you had to bowl at the right pace and you have to back yourself with the right kind of field also,” said Dhoni.

“So what I personally think is he did quite good in the series. It will be a good learning experience for him, but just to turn around and say this bowler didn’t do well in this series would be wrong,” he said.

“Our spinners have got the experience behind themselves to play in these kinds of conditions being a home team, most situations and most conditions favour them and they know exactly what to do,” Dhoni said.

“And at times it is better off to just attack one side of the wicket so that you can take maybe one or two fielders out of the other side, and place them in a position where you can get the batsman out. It may not look very good from outside, but it really works, because it helps,” he said. (ANI)