MSD looks to keep an eye on the ball

Though Indian bowlers impressed on Sunday, with debutant Shami Ahmed, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja bowling a disciplined line and length, it had a lot to do with the conditions too, reports Khurram Habib.

That MS Dhoni had to attribute victory to India's fielding doesn't absolve India of lack of depth in bowling.

A day before the game, Dhoni had mentioned the difference in Indian and Pakistani attacks, saying the visitors had more options.

Though Indian bowlers impressed on Sunday, with debutant Shami Ahmed, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja bowling a disciplined line and length, it had a lot to do with the conditions too.

Both Dhoni and Misbah admitted, while defending their batting that the wickets in this series have been bowling friendly.

Misbah added that the spinners got extra help in the latter part of the day due to moisture on the wicket.

The big test for them then will come when India play England on a belter in the first ODI at Rajkot and later at equally batting-friendly Kochi and Ranchi.

As of now, Dhoni is looking for solutions, especially with the new rules allowing only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle. Yuvraj, for one, according to Dhoni, is struggling with it.

Both Yuvi and Jadeja were termed only as contributive (sic) cricketers by Dhoni, and he admitted that India lacks a genuine all-rounder.

Pakistan have the likes of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik for that. "Irfan is the only one we have," said Dhoni. He is injured.

The problem was exemplified in batting. Ashwin was sent ahead of Jadeja. "We had to send Ashwin up because he is a proper batsman and he can't slog," Dhoni explained.

Questions have been raised over Jadeja but perhaps the lack of an all-rounder has helped him survive the axe and ensured that the Delhi paceman Parvinder Awana, after being tested in just two T20Is on batting-friendly surfaces, doesn't feature in the side anymore.

“We expect him (Jadeja) to contribute with both bat and the ball," concluded Dhoni.