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Sri Lanka chased a revised target of 154 runs in 21 overs after India had scored 195 for five wickets in their allotted 29 overs at the Manuka Ground.
"If you are chasing 154 (instead of 196) your approach changes a lot. A team can keep only two fielders in catching position and you can't save the boundaries," Dhoni said after the match.
Dhoni said it was not that Indian bowling was below-par but the Sri Lankans took risks and were successful.
"Most of the time their openers were clearing the field. Tillakratne Dilshan, the way he carried on, was the key performer. They got a very good start and cleared everything.
It wasn't as if our bowlers were bowling badly. But they took the risk and were successful," he said.
"By the time I realised it, they were 50 on the board and the game was over," he rued.
India's fielding also became a little ragged when the chase was on but Dhoni put it down to wet conditions in the outfield.
"It wasn't an easy ground to field to. The field was wet and it was difficult to move on. Having said so, I think we still need to put up a better show in the field," Dhoni said.
Dhoni also spoke for Yuvraj Singh, who failed again, and the youngsters in the team.
"You can't score a century off one ball. Yuvraj has suffered failures in this tournament but today it was different. There were not many balls left.
"I am also happy that youngsters are scoring and availing their opportunities. In India, when youngsters fail, the pressure mounts on them. They start taking it in a negative way," he said.
"In India, it's always the case that a youngster has to earn a few matches for themselves. They should be getting ample chances whether they succeed or not," Dhoni added.
The Indian captain defended his bowlers who went for runs and also bowled a fair number of wides and no-balls.
"I don't think Sreesanth bowled badly. He was bowling in right areas but the openers were clearing the field most of the times.
"But every extra run hurts and if we can cut down on wides, it would help."
Dhoni praised the format of the tournament and said any team can make a comeback in it.
"The amount of matches a side can play allows any team to come back and perform well."
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RatingWhen are these excuses gonna stop by the Indians I thought I'd just about heard them all but the Indians keep coming up with them....face facts you lost by playing poor cricket the fielding was terrible and the Sri Lankan batsmen were great.
So the Indian Cricket team blame umpires, sledging, racist ICC and now the rain. I would have thought they would have run out of excuses by now. I have a suggestion...maybe you could blame poor playing ability. I know, that would appear far too much like true sportsmanship. Sri Lanka-Australia final is looking like the best outcome. Everyone is disgusted with India's lame excuses.
Team India ODI, captain MS Dhoni should stop bickering over the rain soakd cricket pitch for Team India's shameless defeat by eight wickets at the hands of spirited Sri lankans who really went flat out scoring runs in the process of chasing, aggressively, India's total. Yuvraj Singh titled as master sixer who had earned crores in cash and kind both for scoring sixes in series against England in T-20 is displaying his true worth now in Australia. Likewise, Virender Sehwag who had scored a century during a practice match in Ausralia is now repeatedly displaying his dismal performance on the cricket pitch. Cricket being a game of skill and chance with inherent ups and downs should be treated as such by all cricketers. All types of over-confidence and false ego should be shunned by all.
An ODI reduced to 39 overs is bad enough, but 21 overs is an absolute farce -- especially because it gives an enormous advantage to the team batting second
blame it on rain , o.k. ,because rain cannot revert back and answer to you , Mr. Dhoni - it does not need a maths wizard to tell you that the revised target was 7.33 runs per over instead of 6.7 if it had not rained - full credit must be given to sri Lankans for the Win.It was great to see jayasuriya clubbing sixes in his old style and form-Mr.Dhoni , you must have been in your huggies ( childhood) when Jayasurya Pelted his first Six in First Class match .
Stop lukin for execuses as rain forced u n yr bowlers not execuet the erstwhile plan in palce ... incase you project yrself as a instinctive leader rather than a thinking leaderI DO NOT KNW IF EVER DHONI WILL GET TO READ ALL THIS ...we shud stop here n get on with our jobs :)-
Sri Lanka esp jayasuriya did not care a bit D/L, even if there was a 50 over game they wud have gone abt the smae way. Yr captaincy is not mature, a flash here n there abt a win shud get u carried away. Dhoni keep yr head firm as yr still a student
Shreesanth needs a lot of discipline and further training. He certainly did not help the team. Sometimes one wonders if winning the 20-20 world championship was just good luck on that day? Indian team certainly does not impress any one for 20 over games.
In today's cricket no team is superior or poor. Its the day that is! Today things did not move as India wanted. In Melbourne things did not go the Aussies way! So relax- and play the next game to the best of your capacity !!Effort should not give way to laxity that is intolerable.
Shame man..! Blaming rain for losing? How impotent! Dhoni should consider playing good cricket for the country rather than weeping for bad weather. Look at what Sri Lankan captain said, "We would have won, rain wasn't the matter". Now that's a captain's stroke. Shame on the Indian Captain.
Having 8 batsmen(including pathan) and only 29 overs to play India should have batted as if it is a T20 game. The quick start given by Sehwag/Sachin combine was wasted by Rohit/Gamgir partnership. The match was given away on a platter by Shreeshant.
A good captian would say,,yeah we played bad today and Sri Lanka played better, But thats not the Indian way, its always someone elses fault or the weather or the umpires never the indian team.
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