MS Dhoni has a liking for spinners and the India skipper is benefiting a great deal from the same, says Muhammed Ashar Khan.

Determined to stop India from progressing to the Super 8 stage like they did in the 2007 World Cup, Bangladesh started like a train on fire in their first match against the World T20 defending champions in Nottingham. India pacers Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan both gave 10 runs each in the first 2 overs. And then, captain MS Dhoni brought in Yusuf Pathan. His tried and tested formula of bringing in a spinner early on reaped instant results.

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MS Dhoni, skipper, India. "I had said before the start of the tournament also that spinners will have a big role in the tournament. Yusuf is a utility player and he has not disappointed in the past either."

In a Twenty20 encounter, Dhoni played 2 genuine spinners in Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha. As many as 11 overs were bowled by spinners helping India to a comprehensive win.

Even in IPL 2, Dhoni made good use of his spinners and got healthy dividends. Of his 12 bowlers, just 4 were spinners who bowled 42 per cent of the overs and took 43 per cent of the wickets. 4 of Dhoni's bowlers were adjudged man of the match, 3 of these were spinners. His confidence in tweakers paid off in India's match against Bangladesh as well when man of the match Ojha took four wickets for 21 runs.

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Pragyan Ojha, player, India. "I am glad to make such a successful debut."

Not only in Twenty20, Dhoni has thrown the ball time and again to spinners in Tests and one dayers as well. While part-timers like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan impressed in home and away series this year, Harbhajan Singh finished as the highest wicket taker in all the 3 forms of the game in New Zealand.

Most of the World Twenty20 teams are heavy on pace attack given the seamer friendly conditions in England. But it's perhaps the presence of quality spinners that makes India, the team to beat in the tournament.

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