Batsmen have to take more responsibility: M S Dhoni

At a loss of words to explain just what exactly is going wrong for the Indian cricket team, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni today said the side's batsmen have to shoulder more responsibility in the series-deciding fourth Test against England starting on Thursday.

After bouncing back to level the series in Mumbai, England took an unbeatable 2-1 lead in the four-match series with a seven-wicket victory at the Eden Gardens, where India lost for the first time in 13 years.

"On a wicket like this, we need to score runs and give the bowlers the liberty of backing up the runs and the situation will be slightly different," Dhoni said in the post-match media interaction.

"The batting will have to take up the responsibility. We need to score more runs. It was a very good wicket to bat on. Of course the bowlers will bowl a few good deliveries that we need to keep out.

"But in the top seven most of us have to score runs at the same time so that we have par score which the bowlers can look to defend," Dhoni said.

Giving full support to off-colour pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, Dhoni reiterated that the bowler was fully fit and putting in his best despite hardly having any wickets to show for it.

"As far as his fitness is concerned, he has been the way he's for the last few years. He's definitely not unfit. He is doing everything.

"About being not effective, maybe the batsmen are playing him better. From behind, it looks he's bowling in the right areas. Maybe this is a phase where he's not getting wickets. But he's bowling the same way, swinging both ways. Fitness is definitely not an issue," he said.

Asked about the team's poor run, the skipper said: "It's a very technical question. But the beauty of it is we all know the problem. It would be a great help if we find out the

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