MSD ready to bat at any spot

Melbourne, Jan. 18: Former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday said he has no preference in the Indian batting order and is ready to bat at any position as per the need of the team.

“I am happy to bat at any number. The important thing is where the team needs me,” said Dhoni, when asked where he wants to bat. “Whether I play at 4 or 6, we need to see if the team balance can be retained. I’m happy to bat lower down at 6. I can’t say I can’t bat at No. 6 after playing 14 years,” he said.

Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav shared a 121-run partnership for the unconquered fourth wicket while chasing a tricky target of 231. Asked what the game plan was, Dhoni said: “It was a slow wicket, so it was difficult to hit whenever you wanted to. No point going after the bowlers who were bowling well, so we wanted to take it deep and that was the plan. “Of course supported brilliantly by Kedar, who plays unorthodox shots. He did a great job in executing.”

India captain Virat Kohli praised the team for the win. “It wasn’t a great wicket to bat on, so we had to take it deep, but they were professional in getting the job done,” he said. “Kedar with bat and ball is always handy. Kuldeep had played a few games, so you don’t want to make things too predictable. So we brought on Yuzvendra Chahal, and he played beautifully.”

It is the first time India remained unbeaten on Australian soil in all three formats and Kohli said it augurs well for the upcoming World Cup.