India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has called on his under-fire bowlers to "drastically improve" their discipline for their opening World Cup match against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday. India's bowling woes were well documented over the last three months in Australia as the team lost the test series 2-0 and failed to win a single match in the following Tri-series, also featuring England.
Dhoni said it was imperative that his bowlers at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday did not give away free scoring opportunities in the first 10 overs, when only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle. "Where we drastically need to improve is not giving boundary opportunities and easy boundary balls in the first 10 overs when the ball is new and the batsmen can actually use your pace," the 33-year-old told reporters on Saturday. "That will be the key factor, how we bowl in the first 10 overs."
India have won all five of their previous World Cup matches against their bitter rivals but their insipid build-up has alarmed supporters. Dhoni believed a comforting record against Pakistan counted for little when the first ball was bowled on Sunday. "Look, I am not bothered about statistics because what happened in the past will count for little in what is a prized game for all.