Dhoni denies middle-order fragility

After the initial counter-attack, Dhoni did open up a little, saying: 8220;You see, talent-wise it is very difficult to find a replacement for players of the class of Dravid, or even Sachin, Sourav and Kumble. But again, it8217;s an opportunity for youngsters to prove themselves.

An India-Pakistan match is always considered a big one. It is considered the toughest of matches to play, especially if you are new at the international level. It8217;s a challenge for them, and they need to prove themselves. 8220;I think we need to bowl much better, and we need to work on our running between the wickets,8221; the stumper admitted.

Despite repeatedly saying that this series is going to be just another cricketing affair, Dhoni did admit that playing Pakistan is 8220;something special8221;.

The captain sounded confident with the way Virender Sehwag is shaping up in his comeback. 8220;He is batting very well right now. He was quite impressive today at the nets. He has done lots of work on his fitness.8221; And then came the obvious question: the Shoaib Akhtar factor, but Dhoni chose not to single him out. 8220;They have a good bowling attack. If you compare the two sides you will see they are more or less similar in strength. The team which exploits the conditions better will win.8221;

At the end, when asked if Sourav Ganguly has been told by the think-tank to step on the gas more often as far as the strike rate is concerned, Dhoni signed off with a vague 8220;Not till now.8221;