Yuvraj more spectacular than Viru or Sachin

Team India's dashing captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni praised his colleague Yuvraj Singh ahead of the Kanpur ODI on Thursday, talking to media, Dhoni claimed that on song Yuvraj is more spectacular than Sehwag or even Sachin.

He also stressed that the best suited combination would be fielded for the third ODI against England at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. Dhoni was all praise for in-form Yuvraj Singh and expressed hope that the southpaw would go on to make a third consecutive century.

"On song, Yuvraj is simply one of the best, even the top bowlers struggle against him," Dhoni observed.

"As a captain, I have noticed that all big players who slog down the order are left-handers, probably because the bowlers have sorted out the right-handers. They can bowl yorker or low full toss to a right-hander but struggle to find the right line for the left-handers."

"Yuvraj really stands out for he is a strong-hitter and hits along the ground," Dhoni said. "Sachin and Sehwag are also spectacular but when in full flow Yuvraj really stands out for he is a strong-hitter and hits along the ground," he added.

Asked what was his advice to Yuvraj, Dhoni quipped "I tell him see the ball, hit the ball. At times when a player goes through bad patch, you have to keep him motivated. But all the players in the team are very talented and you cannot really change their basics. All you can do is to motivate them," Dhoni said.

The trio of Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag were conspicuous in their absence at today`s nets and Dhoni said they had decided to opt out of the session to catch some rest.

"See, all of them have been continuously playing for a long time and that’s why they decided to opt out of practice."

Dhoni said that Ishant Sharma was fit for the next game following speculations over his fitness but also said that the young speedster had to be nurtured well.

"In the Test series against Australia, he bowled long spells and was tired. But even then, bowling his third spell of the day, he gave it his best and bowled his heart out, putting in the same amount of effort. You have to take care of kids like him," he said.

"He is just 19 or 20, you have to make sure that he does not sustain injuries and remains in the right frame of mind."

He said that the team was not thinking about the upcoming Champions League at the moment and were only concentrating on the coming two matches. “We are taking every game, not thinking too much ahead.”

Dhoni asserted that the toss was not a very big factor in the outcome of the match, especially in day matches. Since the Green Park pitch is not prone to a high degree of wear and tear, he was optimistic of a good result despite any outcome of the toss.

Overall, Dhoni was happy with the way the entire team gelled and said it was equally important to enjoy the game.

"We got to enjoy the game as well. At times, pressure mounts on us but we need to overcome that and remain aggressive and expressive on the field. At times, we enjoy going to amusement parks or movies and we also enjoy each others company and success," he said