Yuvraj is key whether he is scoring or not: Dhoni

Adelaide, Feb 16 (UNI) Voicing his support for the out-of-form Yuvraj Singh, India captain Mahendra singh Dhoni said while bowlers have raised the level of their performance, it is the batsmen who have not always done the job.

''Yuvraj is key and whether he is scoring or not does not matter.

At times when you are desperate to perform, the pressure mounts.

Personally, I feel Yuvi should come after the 20th over because the field opens up and that's the main time when you build up your innings,'' he said.

Highlighting Yuvraj's performance during the past year, Dhoni said,''Last year he was our main middle-order batsman, who handled pressure and gave good stability to the side. He also contributes with the ball when we play an extra batsman, so he is an asset to the side.'' After India's World Cup debacle, Yuvraj rattled up 1025 runs in 29 games up until the start of the CB Series. In 2007 he was the most successful Indian batsman in run-chases, ended with the best average, and was India's second most prolific run-scorer after Sachin Tendulkar.

Meanwhile, Dhoni was willing to persevere with the out-of-form players, but given the importance of the match, the Indian think-tank will probably opt for experience.

''We'll look at the others but it is important to look at the series and what the best possible XI is,'' Dhoni said.

Meanwhile, Virender Sehwag is battling a side strain, and if he does not recover in time one of the batting reserves - probably Manoj Tiwary - might get a chance to play. A final decision will only be taken on the morning of the match.

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