We had the best fielding unit today: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels that Indian players fielded exceptionally well on Thursday night to save 15 runs in the match that eventually helped the hosts clinch the quarter-final clash against Australia at Sardar Patel Stadium.

?I’d have been satisfied keeping them to 250, we had our best fielding unit today. I think we saved around 15 runs that we hence did not need to chase,? Dhoni said after a thrilling win over four times World Champion Australia.

Speaking on his decision of selecting Raina ahead of Yusuf Pathan in this crucial encounter, Dhoni said: ?Yusuf at No. 7 was going for the runs, but Raina is technically better and we were keen on batting 50 overs. That’s why we went with Raina, but we know Yusuf can be dangerous.?

Dhoni also commented that the clash between India and Pakistan will be a high voltage encounter but the pressure will not affect his side.

“India v Pakistan semi-finals – it doesn’t get better. The pressure will be big, but in reality it makes no difference to us,” he said.

On the other hand two World Cup winning Australian skipper, Ricky Ponting said it is difficult for his side to ?bow? out of the tournament as he feels that his team is much better than the performance they showed in the field on Thursday night.

?It’s disappointing to bow out, we are a better team than we have played,” Ponting said.

“We needed more wickets in the middle of the innings. With 15 overs to go, it was
touch and go, but Yuvraj and Raina played really well,” he said after the match.

Meanwhile, Man of the Match and the in-form player of India, Yuvraj Singh said that the pressure of playing against Australia is quite different from facing other teams.

“I don’t know about hitting any purple patch, but the pressure today, playing Australia, it was something else,? he said.

?When Dhoni got out, I knew we still had Raina to come, and thought if we
added 40 odd runs it would be good,? he said.

He also said that it was good to perform and score fifty in the World Cup after going through bad form for a long period of time.

?I have gone through a tough year, but coming into the World Cup, getting that 50 against England, it was good,? he commented.

Yuvraj (57*) scored his fourth consecutive half century on Thursday night to ensure a semi-final position for his side.

Chasing the Austrlian total of 260 runs, India reached the winning target of 261 runs by losing only 5 wickets on Thursday.

India will face arch-rival Pakistan in the semi-final.