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Dhoni hails teamwork after series win

November 16, 2007 09:56 IST

Indian skipper Mahendra Dhoni praised his players' teamwork after they won the fourth one-day international against Pakistan in Gwalior on Thursday to clinch the series.

India won by six wickets, scoring 260 for four replying to Pakistan's 255 for six, taking an unassailable 3-1 lead with a game to spare.

Batsman Sachin Tendulkar stroked 97 to set up the win.

"Today the bowlers could not do well in the end and the batsmen took the responsibility," Dhoni told reporters.

"This is what we have been doing throughout this series."

Dhoni was disappointed Tendulkar missed out on his century.

"More than him we are feeling sad," he said. "He can even smile although he has missed seven hundreds this year.

"There are many who retire even without scoring seven in their career."

Tendulkar, who holds the one-day record with 41 hundreds, has been dismissed in the 90s in one-dayers six times this year. He was also out in the 90s once during the 1-0 Test series win in England in August.

Named man-of-the-match, Tendulkar joked: "I'm getting into this wrong habit again and again but I feel very happy my innings has contributed to the team's victory."

Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik bemoaned the poor effort of his new ball bowlers.

"We lack in bowling and even today we gave away too many runs with the new ball," he said. "Otherwise, 255 was a good score."

Malik hoped the players would lift themselves for the tests and his in-form batsmen Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan and opener Salman Butt would maintain their touch for the remainder of the series.

India will stick with the same squad for Sunday's last ODI in Jaipur.

Source: REUTERS
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