India's stand-in captain Rahul Dravid put up a bold face ahead of the crucial one-day international against Pakistan, saying there would be no undue pressure on his players who had the potential to tie the six-match series.
Dravid said the three consecutive defeats would not affect the confidence level of the team which will try out some different strategies to contain Pakistan who have an unassailable 3-2 lead.
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"We lost the last game because of the exceptional knock of [Shahid] Afridi. That made all the difference, if we can get Afridi out early, it will help us. We believe it will be a close contest, the team that plays better on the day will win," he said.
Dravid said his team will have to sort out the weak areas in the bowling department.
"We have done well in the first 15 overs in batting in most of the matches, but in bowling it has hurt us. We have tried out different strategies but it has not worked. I can say that it is not because of a lackadaisical attitude".
"You really can't do anything if somebody bats like Afridi. You just have to clap for a good knock," he said.
Asked whether the team will miss the services of Sourav Ganguly for the crucial tie, Dravid said, "at the end of the day, 15 guys are selected to do the job. People miss matches because of injuries. Everybody is keen to do well."
Dravid also did not agree that the Indians were being a little too defensive in the first 15 overs while bowling.
"I don't think we have been going too defensive. It is not our strategy. We just assess the situation and see how we should play."
On the pitch at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground which has not really been tested, the Karnataka batsman said, "the pitch will be the same for both the teams. We will go and have a look. I can't say how it will play without seeing in, but as I said it will the same for both the teams. No team will have an advantage or disadvantage."
Asked whether the team will continue to experiment with Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the number three slot, Dravid said, "he has been playing well. All things start as an experiment. Even Sehwag was not a regular opener but he has flourished in that role."
"With Sehwag and Tendulkar up the order, we think that Dhoni will give the impetus, he can give us that momentum. Nothing is written on a stone, so we have to be flexible," he said.
Dravid also defended the team management's decision to go in with two specialist spinners in the Kanpur match which India lost by five wickets.
"It was a tough decision to leave out [Ashish] Nehra in the last game. He had been bowling well but we thought the track would break up and we should play two specialist spinners. We may have to rethink on playing two spinners," Dravid said.
The acting captain did not agree that India had to review the seven batsmen formula just because the team had lost three matches on the trot.
"We will finalise the team only after having a look at the wicket. We have gone with seven batsmen for a long time and there is no need to change that. It all depends on what the situation demands," he said.
"Most teams play with four specialist bowlers but we do not have the luxury of genuine all-rounders. We have [Dinesh] Mongia who can bowl a bit, but unfortunately he had to bowl in the first 15 overs in the last match, he is not used to. But I think the balance of our side is pretty good."
On whether the team is motivated to win because it is coach John Wright's last match, Dravid said, "there is always the motivation to win, whether its somebody's last match or not. John has been with the team for close to five years. It has been an eventful journey which has seen some ups and downs.
"We have valued his contribution. He will not only be missed as a coach but also as a friend. It is time to celebrate some of the good moments the team has shared," he added.
