MS Dhonis 14-year ODI profession is brimming with smartly paced, smash hit surfaces. – of his best ODI innings, tracing the development of a dasher into perhaps the greatest finisher of all time.
91 * v Sri Lanka, Mumbai, 2011
Setting: Its the final of the 2011 World Cup, India are 114 for 3 and the asking rate is creeping towards six in a chase of 275. Go Into Yuvraj Singh, the player of the tournament Dhoni.
He had managed all of 150 runs in 7 innings prior to the final, however he knocked on the window of the dressing room and informed coach Gary Kirsten: “I want to go in next”. The rationale behind the promo was that he was better geared up than Yuvraj to manage Muttiah Muralitharan. Yuvraj was twitchy versus quality spin even when at his finest, and Dhoni had the benefit of having dealt with Muralitharans variations, consisting of the doosra, at the Chennai Super Kings nets in the IPL.
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For a long time, Dhoni did not strike a single border, and it was Gautam Gambhir doing the heavy lifting. Muralitharan dragged one down outside off, and Dhoni laced it to the cover boundary. The asking rate and Sri Lankas attack was now at Dhonis grace.
148 v Pakistan, Visakhapatnam, 2005
Setting: Lets go back to 2005, when the legend of Dhoni began to take shape. In only his 5th ODI innings, Dhoni, shoulder-length red-tinted hair and all, was bumped up to No. 3 by captain Sourav Ganguly after Sachin Tendulkar was gone out for 2.
After going out with a swagger and punching gloves with Virender Sehwag, Dhoni disdainfully punched Pakistans seamers over point like Sehwag utilized to. Abdul Razzaq was split over point, Mohammad Sami and Naved-ul-Hasan were sent out through extra-cover off the front foot, and Shahid Afridi wasnt spared either as Dhoni rose down the track and released him over extra-cover, copping a mouthful from the bowler.
Dhoni transferred to his very first ODI hundred off 88 balls, and then displayed his complete variety, unfurling scoops, sweeps and down-the-track leg-side trims to leave Pakistan questioning what had actually hit them.
Up at No. 3, Dhoni smashed what stays the best score by a wicketkeeper-batsman in ODIs Getty Images183 * v Sri Lanka, Jaipur, 2005
Setting: Six months later on, another ferocious assault from No. 3, this time in a chase of 299. Tendulkar gone early again. Dhoni strides out, rolling his shoulder and windmilling his arms.
He revealed he could be more than a pinch-hitter and ended up the high chase with a fine cocktail of power and computation, even drawing comparisons with Tendulkars Desert Storm. His unbeaten 183 off 145 still remains the greatest individual rating by a wicketkeeper-batsman in ODI cricket.
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The carnage started when he smote Chaminda Vaas over extra-cover for a brace of 6s, and after that revealed decisive footwork versus Muralitharan, choosing his doosra with ease. His first fifty came off 40 balls, the second off 45, and the 3rd off a simple 38. All informed, 120 of his 183 runs came by means of borders, including what would end up being a calling card: ending up the task with a 6.
72 * v Pakistan, 2006, Lahore
Setting: The five-match series is locked at 1-1. After being sent out in, Pakistan post 288 on the back of Shoaib Maliks 108. India still require a run-a-ball 99 versus a formidable attack led by Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul when Dhoni joins Yuvraj in the middle.
And Dhoni alone muscled his method to 72 off 46 balls, the dasher had ended up being the king, of ending up video games. He locked on to anything that was from another location large of off and unleashed punches like a fighter. When his body was targeted, he retreated with precision. Slower shipments were whacked away, consisting of one over mid-off with one hand. From 18 off 20 balls, he zoomed to a 35-ball fifty and killed the chase, leaving the then Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf in wonder of his strokeplay as well as his hairdo.
Take the game deep, smash a few and run a few – the Dhoni trademark Getty Images113 * v Pakistan, Chennai, 2012
Setting: Indias leading 4 are all bowled by complete, swinging deliveries. Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina do not last long either. On a scorching day in Chennai, India are feeling the heat – literally and otherwise.
Two of Chennais preferred kids – Dhoni and R Ashwin – though absorbed it and conserved the innings with a resolute 125-run stand – the highest ever for the seventh wicket for India. From 29 for 5, Dhoni dragged India to 227 for 6. He tiptoed along in the early exchanges and later on ran hard in the middle overs in the Chepauk furnace.
He willed himself into running 10 twos, one 3, and 44 songs and, by the end of the innings, he might barely stand. He teed off in the slog overs. In the last over bowled by Junaid Khan, Dhoni presented an outrageous shot, scything a yorker in between backwards point and short third male for 4. It was only fitting that he ended up the Chennai tour de force with a double, however it wasnt enough for India to win the series opener.
44 * v Australia, Adelaide, 2012
Setting: After Clint McKay prises out Sehwag and Virat Kohli, Gambhir marshals the chase with a steely 90-something prior to Dhoni … sounds familiar?
When Dhoni joins Yuvraj in the middle, India still require a run-a-ball 99 versus a powerful attack led by Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul.
Two of Chennais preferred boys – Dhoni and R Ashwin – though absorbed it and conserved the innings with an undaunted 125-run stand – the highest ever for the seventh wicket for India. From 29 for 5, Dhoni dragged India to 227 for 6. India were 178 for 4 in the 35th over in pursuit of 270 when Dhoni stepped out. Gambhir later on reckoned India shouldnt have taken it to the last over, but this was how Dhoni dealt with chases after.
India were 178 for 4 in the 35th over in pursuit of 270 when Dhoni stepped out. Gambhir later reckoned India shouldnt have actually taken it to the last over, however this was how Dhoni dealt with chases after. The fourth ball was a beamer that was caught at deep square-leg, but Dhoni secured a double and then polished off the chase with 2 balls to spare.
45 * v Sri Lanka, Port-of-Spain, 2013
Setting: Shaminda Eranga destroy the leading order and then Rangana Herath whips up some magic on a pitch where one ball bounces and the other skitters through at shin height. The tri-series last is on the line.
In the latter half of his profession, Dhoni traded brute power for risk-free build-up and reduced the contest to him v the bowler in the last over. On a treacherous Port of Spain track, Dhoni saw Raina, Jadeja, Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Vinay Kumar all fall around him in a chase of 202, but obstructed and bunted his method to the last over, bringing the equation to 15 off six balls. It was down to Dhoni, No. 11 for company, v Eranga. He had a big swish at the very first ball … and missed. The second was large and complete, and it was biffed into the roof over Erangas head. From thereon there was just one result possible, and Dhoni finished it off with a six.
