London, Sep 14: Former Team India skipper Sourav Ganguly feels Dhoni's men need to regroup quickly to give England a taste of their own medicine in the home series.
In an interview to Times of India, Ganguly said: "India didn't bat well in the Tests. We started off on a bad note by losing the opening match. After the Test whitewash, it was difficult to come back in the ODIs. England did play better cricket, but their real test will come in the subcontinent. However, I wouldn't like to take away credit for their performance at home."
"I've always believed that a captain is as good as his team. You can't blame the captain if some of the top players are out with injury. Look what happened to Australia when some of their top players dropped out. Before that, Ricky Ponting was considered the best captain in the world, when the Australians were ruling the roost with top bowlers like Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. "
Asked which young Indian player has impressed him the most, Ganguly replied: "Ajinkya Rahane, to some extent. But even he failed to make full use of the initial starts he got. The Indian team looked ordinary. Basically, they must learn to live without Zaheer. "
Asked whether India lacked an aggressive captain, Ganguly said: "I captained the side a long time ago. A lot of changes have taken place since then. This is a different era, a different phase, but the team is still focussed on winning matches. Any team that can win matches in Australia, South Africa and England has to be good. "
Asked about coach Duncan Fletcher's performance, Ganguly said: "It's early days yet for him. One can't comment on his performance just yet. Give him some time. I'm sure he'll do well. "
Asked whether England can overtake India in ODIs, Ganguly replied: "England are not the best ODI team. India have lost badly to them but their stars will rise again. Fitness is a key issue with this team and I'm sure the BCCI is going to address the issue. We also need good bowlers in all forms of the game to be consistent at the highest level. The selectors should have the eye for new talent. "
When it was pointed out that his contemporaries like Dravid and Tendulkar were still playing, Ganguly treplied: "I'm 39. How long could I continue playing? I had my fill and am happily retired from international cricket. "
Asked whether he would continue playing in IPL, he said: "Yes. The passion to play is still there. IPL is a domestic league and I still have a couple of years of cricket left in me. Next year, I'll be ready for the tournament and will also play domestic cricket to get in shape before that. "
