Chennai: Sounding as optimistic as ever, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni echoed Gautam Gambhir and said that the tour of Sri Lanka is indeed very important and the team’s main objective as of now is to get off to a winning start and carry on the momentum further on in the season.

"Our cricket season has started and we want to play best for our country's image. We want to start the season well. The conditions in Sri Lanka are not too different. Certain things change but the pattern of cricket remains the same,” said Dhoni after the end of the two-day camp in Chennai.
India will play five ODI’s and a T20 game in Sri Lanka staring July 21.

Gambhir and Virender Sehwag in the recent past said that India won the due to a good team and captain is a good as his team. Denying to stir any unnecessary controversy ahead of the start of the season Dhoni somewhat spoke on the same lines and said that good team indeed matters a lot and a captain is just as good as the team.

“An ordinary team with an extraordinary captain cannot win the World.”

Talking about the proposed Indo-Pak bilateral series, Dhoni said that the team would prepare for the three match ODI series against their arch rivals by keeping the sentiments aside. “ As professionals we would prepare for the series by keeping our sentiments aside,” added Dhoni.

India is scheduled to host Pakistan for three ODIs and two T20 games in December-January. The bilateral ties were snapped between both the nations after 2008 Mumbai terror attack and they faced each other only once in the semi finals of 2011 World Cup since last five years.

By Indian Sports News Network