Hobart, Feb 28: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni today described his side's incredible seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the crucial tri-series match here as one of the best ODI victories he has been part of.
“This was one of the best ODI cricket I have been a part of. That was fantastic right through the very start of our chase. When you need 321 off 40 overs, you need a good start. You need the quantity, but the quality also. Overall it was a fantastic performance,” said Dhoni after the match.
Needing to chase down a mammoth 321 in 40 overs in order to get a bonus point and stay afloat in the tri-series, India rode on Virat Kohli's unbeaten 133 off 86 balls to snatch an incredible victory in only 36.4 overs.
Dhoni said the top-order comprising Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhit provided the right kind of start to his side's chase.
“First 10 overs, we got the 90-odd runs on the board. It was a great start and we just need to carry on the momentum. Sachin, Sehwag gave us the good start and then Gambhir chipped in with useful contribution,” he said.
Dhoni said that he wanted to keep Sri Lanka down to 270 after winning the toss but failed to do it.
“We wanted to keep them down to 250, maximum 270. We knew we had the firepower, but still 320 was more than we could digest. But once we got that start, we knew we could kick on,” he said.
The Indian skipper added that with their hopes of advancing to the finals of the tri-series hanging on the result of Australia-Sri Lanka match on Friday, they would like to spend a couple of days shopping.
“We are going on a couple of days of shopping, and some practice at the same time. It's not in our hands now,” he said.
