Press round on Dhoni after India exit

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni faced calls to quit Wednesday after his team’s exit from the World Twenty20, with pundits lining up to condemn his tactics as well as the misfiring top order. “Every captain’s term has a shelf life and after five years at the helm, Dhoni’s seems to have come to an end,” said the Mail Today in a blistering review of his “mind-boggling decision-making” during Tuesday’s game with South Africa. “The entire match was littered with his mistakes,” it added. Although India scraped a one-run victory over the Proteas in Colombo, they fell well short of the run rate required to reach the semi-finals. Much of the criticism levelled at the captain revolved around the dropping of spinner Harbhajan Singh, who had been the team’s most economical bowler. The Times of India accused him of committing “a major captaincy gaffe” by dropping a player who finished with figures of 4-12 when India crushed England in the opening round. “Dhoni will have much answering to do about why he didn’t play veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on a wicket on which Pakistan played four spinners against Australia with much success,” said the paper. “The Proteas are as bad players of spin as anybody in the world.” Dhoni has been one of the most successful captains in Indian history, leading the team to victory in the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007 and at last year’s 50-over World Cup. He also steered them to the top of the Test rankings.
Dhoni insists ousted India not shamed: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni wants his team to return home from the World Twenty20 with their heads held high despite failing to make the semi-finals for the third time in a row. The one-run win over South Africa in Tuesday night’s last Super Eights match in Colombo left the 2007 champions level with Australia and Pakistan on points, but a poor net run-rate ended their campaign.