GUWAHATI, Nov. 7: Ever since Mahendra Singh Dhoni took over as captain, India have lost just one bilateral series at home — in 2007 against Australia. On this occasion as well, India are 2-3 down and another hiccup on Sunday at the Nehru Stadium will hand the series to the Aussies.

One of the main reasons behind the scoreline is the inconsistency of the middle-order and failure to deliver when the chips are down. "This is one series where the middle-order hasn’t performed consistently, leaving too much of work to do for the lower-order batsmen," Dhoni said after a training session on match eve.

"Still, it’s not too much of a worrying factor. The senior pros are constantly in touch with the juniors and lower-order players. I’m confident they’ll react on a positive note."

On Thursday, there was still hope even after Sachin Tendulkar fell, having registered one of the best knocks in the history of one-day cricket. Unfortunately for India, the tail wobbled with the result being an agonising three-run defeat.

The focus now is on looking ahead instead of harping on the past, Dhoni emphasised. "The loss in Hyderabad was disappointing, hurting to say the least. A little better calculation could well have made some difference. Nonetheless, we don’t want to look back at it now. It’s time to move on and start from scratch. The only priority is to keep our chances in the series alive."

The India skipper also insisted one of the top-order batsmen needed to remain at the crease till the end. "It’s imperative one of the top-order batsmen has to remain firm and continue till the end. It is a little harsh if we expect tail-enders to perform in pressure situations."

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja too, hasn’t performed up to expectations so far. Although he began the series on a good note dismissing Australian captain Ricky Ponting twice in the first three games, Jadeja did take bit of a pounding both in Mohali and in Hyderabad.

"Well, I think Ravindra is doing well. With more matches, he’ll definitely progress and turn up as a better all-rounder," Dhoni feels.

The fading light after 4.15 in the evening is an area of concern for both camps. Dhoni, however, felt that the dew too could be a factor in this must-win tie.

"Although there won’t be too much dew on the outfield because of the super-sopper, it may well play a part some way or the other. Besides, we also need to keep in mind the fading light after 4.15 pm. Therefore, it’s important we dominate the game right from the word go to keep these off-the-field issues at bay," the skipper stressed.