Calcutta: Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy skills have earned him an admirer in Sourav Ganguly. Dhoni and his young team came in for special praise from the former skipper who said the team was playing like a unit.

“Dhoni is doing well, he is taking good decisions,” Sourav said on Friday.

“We are doing superbly well in Twenty20, we are playing like a team,” he said after a strenuous workout at the Eden.

On India playing without a coach, he said: “Cricket is always a captain’s game... And I have always believed that”.

On India’s prospects in the semi-final against Australia Saturday, Sourav said: “The Aussies will be without Ricky Ponting… India have had back to back wins… The toss will be vital.”

Sourav felt the semi-finals were wide open, as only two or three overs could change the course of the match.

Yuvraj Singh’s feat of hitting six sixes in one over against England was something the former captain enjoyed the most. “It was simply extraordinary, it was something special,” he said, but added that one shouldn’t forget Virender Sehwag’s knock in the same match.

Sourav was also impressed with Rohit Sharma’s batting and R.P. Singh’s bowling in Friday’s match against South Africa.

“Rohit’s innings was extraordinary, and RP bowled superbly.”

“New shots are coming up in Twenty20 cricket, it has been possible largely because of this new format of the game.”

Sourav predicted that the forthcoming ODIs against Australia and Pakistan would be tough. “Both series will be tough, we have to play well to win.”

(PTI)