Draw inspiration from Mahendra Singh Dhoni's grit: Syed Kirmani

Chennai:“Always turn a negative situation into a positive one.” Former stumper and chairman of selectors Syed Kirmani wants MSD and his men to take a cue from this idiom and spread positive vibes in the dressing room to hit back hard in the final Test against England at The Oval. With the side deflated and pilloried after two crushing defeats, Kirmani feels it’s time for the young Indian team, especially batsmen, to “draw inspiration” from skipper M.S. Dhoni.

“The team is in doldrums. There is no room for sulking or brooding over what’s gone by. Dhoni, under dire circumstances, has led from the front admirably with the bat. Balls swinging and seaming around are bound to create pessimistic thoughts into youngsters’ minds. They should take a cue from Dhoni’s grittiness and apply themselves to survive for long periods,” Kirmani told this newspaper.

“Dhoni has seen wickets tumble around him. When he looked to take on the England attack along with the tail-enders he couldn’t succeed and obviously it’s not an England ‘A’ team or some XYZ… to blast,” he said.

The yesteryear keeper-batsman opined that opener Gautam Gambhir should be retained for the fifth Test. “There is nothing to replace experience. Gambhir is one such batsman and he has been in the wilderness for a while. It will take some time for him to find his rhythm and form. There has been a lot of opinions and chatting going around the team composition but it’s time to show some faith in men who have been there before and back their capability,” he added.

Kirmani said that the coach is just a guiding force and the players should think on their feet to overcome obstacles. “Can someone teach Gauti how to bat or for that matter to a Virat Kohli or a Shikhar Dhawan. They have crossed that phase. It’s all about application and discussing among themselves on how to tackle the English bowlers. Motivate yourself and keep telling ‘I will not fail this time’,” he added.

The 64-year-old urged the Indian bowlers to imbibe the mental strength of their opposite numbers as to how focussed they were with the job at hand. “James Anderson and Stuart Broad endured torrid times in Australia and look how well they have bounced back. Out on the park, their eyes looked only at the spot where the ball should land. Should Dhoni keep telling his bowlers on how and where to bowl? Our bowlers should take up the responsibility and deliver. It’s as simple as that,” he added.

“The players, who appear jaded, need a bit of pep talk from Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher. They must let the team understand that these tough times are just a passing phase which every team and individual go through,” he signed-off.