Dhoni still in Caribbean trance

Kolkata, Apr 2 (UNI) The hair was there alright, the bright red sports shirt in place, but the mind seemed to be tossing about in the Caribbean waves every time Mahe paused between nets preparing for Jharkhand's Twenty-20 tie here tomorrow.

Mahinder Singh Dhoni, fondly called Mahe, practised along with his teammates. He bowled at the nets and kept stumps for a while, before heading in for batting. The fierce strokeplay was there, the delicate cuts glittered in mid-day sun, but the smile was gone.

He practised for about 90 minutes before taking a quick shower and headed for the bus.

Dhoni, who rose like a meteor in the world cricket over the last year and half for his merciless slaying of the opposition and a beefy agrarian batting style that left the opposition demoralised, had a poor run in the world cup averaging less than 20.

He refused to talk to the media. But coach Venkat Ram said, ''He is very disappointed. He wants to work hard and make amends.'' ''He just wants to score runs and very quickly,'' he said.

Dhoni has not returned to his hometown.

UNI