Giving Irfan new ball was a ploy to silence Afridi: Dhoni

Seeing Irfan Pathan operating with the new ball came as a surprise for most but Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni revealed it was a ploy to silence Shahid Afridi's blazing blade.

Dhoni was all smiles as he came for the post-match press conference after his side beat Pakistan by 46 runs to regain lead in the five-match series. And he was only elated as he shared how he had planned not to allow Afridi fire on all cylinders.

"We knew they would check the record book and field Afridi as an opener. So we decided to give the new ball to Irfan. He's among the more accurate bowlers and he proved it today," Dhoni said.

Two years back, Afridi these days a 'floater' in the Pakistani batting line-up had created a mayhem at the same venue, belting a 45-ball century. Expecting an encore from the flamboyant swashbuckler, Pakistan sent him to open the innings with Salman Butt but the explosive right-hander was castled by Pathan for 12, before he could be dangerous.

Interestingly, it was Butt and not Afridi, who looked in sizzling form even though the left-hander's career best 129 was not enough to avert a defeat.

Dhoni, however, insisted that though Butt was going great guns, at no stage did he fear losing the match.