Ashwin defends under-fire India captain Dhoni
India suffered a thumping six-wicket loss to Bangladesh on Sunday in Dhaka
DHAKA (AFP) - Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin on Tuesday defended under-fire skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who says he is willing to step aside as captain following their first ever one-day series defeat to Bangladesh.
Ashwin s said Dhoni was not to blame for India s embarrassing losses in the first two matches of the series to minnows Bangladesh, saying "we failed as a group".
India suffered a thumping six-wicket loss to Bangladesh on Sunday in Dhaka, sealing the international series for the hosts.
"He (Dhoni) is a legend of Indian cricket. He has done so much for the nation," Ashwin said at a press conference in Dhaka ahead of the third and final match on Wednesday.
"You can t blame him for the whole team s performance. That s not fair. We have failed as a group. We need to grow up as a group."
Ashwin, Dhoni s team-mate in the Indian Premier League franchise Chennai Super Kings, said the team was fully behind its captain.
"As far as I am concerned it s like an army, if you don t go behind your leader then you are definitely going to get shot."
Dhoni, who turns 34 next month and is regarded as India s best limited-overs player, has won a string of trophies for India since taking the helm in 2007.
But the losses in Bangladesh again raised questions about his recent form as captain after India s semi-final exit from the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.
The wicket keeper-batsman quit Test captaincy midway through the Australia tour in December and was replaced by batsman Virat Kohli.
"If it is a justifiable thing that if you remove me and Indian cricket will start doing really well, and if I am the reason for all the bad that is happening to Indian cricket, definitely I would love to step away and play as a player," Dhoni said after Sunday s loss.
