We gave more than 100% in field, says Dhoni

DURBAN: Unsure whether they had a winning total on the board, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his team pulled off the impressive win over South Africa by giving more than 100 per cent in the field to ensure a semi-final berth at the Twenty20 cricket World Cup here.
    
After knocking out the hosts by 37 runs to advance to the last four, Dhoni admitted that the side was not confident of winning after putting just 153 on the board but came through with its commitment, desire and intensity.
    
"I don't think we were 100 per cent certain we would win when we went out to field, but those kind of efforts really charge you up. We were defending 153 against the home side and not many expected us to defend that target successfully. But every player gave more than 100 per cent," Dhoni said.
    
"We had less pressure back in India. No one expected much of us, after we lost to New Zealand. Every match became a must win situation and we played professional cricket," he added
after India beat the Proteas in the Super Eights encounter at Kingsmead.
    
The Indians may have drawn flak for their poor fielding off late but Dhoni said it was the only area he was confident of coming into the competition.
    
"When we came here, I wasn't sure about the batting and the bowling, but I knew we had a very good fielding side. The way the guys have adapted has been amazing. We have dropped a few catches but the fielding has been excellent."
    
India now play Australia in the semi-final on Saturday, while Pakistan play New Zealand on the same day at Newlands in Cape Town.
    
Dhoni praised RP Singh and Harbhajan Singh for setting up the victory by striking some telling blows.
    
"RP has been wonderful throughout England and here. Both he and Harbhajan have been outstanding. Today Harbhajan bowled throughout in the slog and bowled well. I don't have to say much about him; he is a proven performer. RP too has proved himself," an elated Dhoni said.
    
Asked what sort of target the team had in mind, Dhoni acknowledged that anything over 135 was a fighting score.
    
"We wanted to get a decent score. We thought anything over 135 was a decent score to defend. We had troubled the South African batsmen in the past with swing, both in Ireland and in the Twenty20 game last year, and we knew if we could get a good start and pick up couple of early wickets we could put them under a lot of pressure."
    
On Yuvraj Singh's last-minute withdrawl from the match due to an elbow injury, Dhoni said the team did not want to take any chance with the left-hander with a long season ahead.
    
"The absence of Yuvraj was definitely a huge loss; no one can replace him in this team. But the show must go on," he explained.
    
"We decided at the last moment that we wanted to save him for the matches ahead. We are a side with a positive frame of mind. For the sake of the team, considering the long season ahead, we thought it will be good not to play him in this game."
    
As for his own back problem that forced him to ask Dinesh Kaarthick to keep wickets, Dhoni said he had a strain in the lower area.
    
"I had a bit of strain, lower back right hand side. Since we had the luxury of having Kaarthick, we decided to play safe."
    
Meanwhile, South African skipper Graeme Smith lavished praise on the Indians for their gritty performance.
    
"We must give credit where it is due, they batted very well in the last six overs with the bat. And they were very good with the ball. They bowled and fielded superbly and put us under pressure.
    
"In this form of the game, the young guys are doing well, they are very exciting and gutsy. Even after losing three quick wickets, they played their shots and got themselves to a total. If they carry on like this, they will do well," he said.
    
Smith admitted that Indians coped better with pressure than his own side.
    
"It was nothing that we didn't expect from them, they handled the more intense and important moments better than us."