No score is safe, says wary Dhoni

With his side scrapping home thanks to a three-run win in the first ODI, Mahendra Singh Dhoni pointed out on Thursday that even a total of 414 on board could become insufficient if the bowlers and the fielders don’t pull up their socks on time.
Reminiscing the team’s show in the first one-dayer, the Indian captain said, “Even after scoring 400-plus in the first game, if you win only by few runs, it clearly means that no score is safe anymore. A lot depends on the first 10 overs in the match and if you manage to get a couple of wickets, you can afford to relax and while batting it is crucial to get a partnership going.”
Speaking on the bowling and fielding woes that his team suffers from, the Indian skipper said, “We have not been very consistent in the bowling department. Ashish (Nehra) bowled with a lot of heart towards the end of the match in Rajkot that helped us finish on a winning note.”
“Also, in the fielding department, we never used to miss simple chances but of late we have started to drop even the regular catches, which is bit of a concern. If the fielders had dropped tough chances on the field, it is still fine but dropping simple ones can prove costly in any match,” Dhoni added.
Asked on the pitches being devoid of any support for the bowlers, Dhoni said, “There is no formula to prepare a wicket. I think when the curator prepares a bowler-friendly pitch, people criticise him and if he prepares a batsmen-friendly wicket, he faces the flak. It is harsh to criticise the curators.”
Airing his views on the second one-dayer, Dhoni said, “With each game it becomes important to start from scratch.”