Dhoni hopes youngsters come good

JAIPUR: Instead of brooding over the absence of key players, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is hoping the younger players will come good in the crucial first ODI against South Africa in Jaipur.
The hosts go into the series without pace spearhead Zaheer Khan (knee and thigh injury), Yuvraj Singh (wrist), Gautam Gambhir (groin) and Harbhajan Singh. The off-spinner is set to join the squad for the third ODI in Ahmedabad (Feb 27) after attending his sister's wedding.
Dhoni said: "In every series we miss players due to injuries so that is nothing new for us. It gives us an opportunity to test our bench strength and also presents a chance for youngsters to perform at the highest level of the game."
Despite the ODI series starting just two days after the conclusion of the exciting Eden Test, Dhoni was confident his players wouldn't find it hard to adjust to the shorter format. "Most of these players weren't part of the Test squad so they are fresh for the series. The other senior players are experienced enough to quickly adapt," he said.
He admitted, though, that the team would miss Zaheer and Harbhajan's experience.
"We will miss Harbhajan for sure but we have options with us in Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan, Amit Mishra and Virender Sehwag, who are good enough to do the job."
The skipper said the onus would be on Ashish Nehra and Praveen Kumar to deliver with the new ball. "Nehra is a very experienced bowler in these conditions and Praveen has played enough to ascertain his line and length on a particular wicket. He is a street-smart cricketer and will adjust to any wicket on a given day."
Terming the pitch at Sawai Mansingh Stadium as a "typical subcontinent wicket", the skipper said the dew factor could influence the composition of their side. "In most parts of north India, there is always a risk in bowling spinners in the second innings due to the dew, and that is something we need to think about."