Nagpur: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that the bad phase that the Indian team is going through in Test cricket was a forgone conclusion after the retirement of batting legends like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.

Dhoni on the eve of the fourth Test said, “Everybody was talking about this phase in Indian cricket when the big players would move on and the pressure will come on the youngsters and we may go through a rough patch. I think everybody expected this kind of a patch.”

Indian team has lost two consecutive Tests, on that Dhoni said, “Of course, we have struggled in the last two Tests. If you ask big questions depending on two Test matches, it may come in the future too where we may lose two Test matches and people will say, okay all these youngsters should go out and someone else should come in." 

Dhoni has been severely criticized for his captaincy but Dhoni said that he is not too bothered about that. “When people appreciate me a lot, I don't feel as if I am in seventh heaven. And it's the same when people criticise me. We have extreme opinions. We praise and then start pulling the same individuals down. I would say it's very important to be in the middle path because that's how you will enjoy the sport,” he said.

By Indian Sports News Network