Wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s knock during India’s 125-run win against the West Indies on Thursday divided many. The former captain’s effort at the Old Trafford in Manchester helped his team climb to the second position in the World Cup points table.
India suffered a middle-order collapse despite Virat Kohli’s record-breaking fifty but Dhoni and Hardik Pandya boosted the total, putting on 70 runs for the sixth wicket to punish the otherwise-disciplined West Indies bowlers. Pandya hit 46 off 38 balls while Dhoni remained unbeaten on 56 off 61, ending the innings with a big six.
However, he didn’t have the best of starts taking his time to get going before exploding in the final over to take India to 268/7. His percentage of dot balls seemed like a cause of concern for India and there was a lot of talk about Dhoni’s issues with strike rotation as well.
But the 37-year-old got the backing of his captain, with Kohli firmly standing behind his predecessor in the post-match chat.
“Dhoni knows exactly what he wants to do in the middle. When he has an off day here and there, everyone starts talking. We always back him. He has won us so many games,” the player of the match told Sanjay manjrekar.
“The best thing about having someone like him is when you need those 15-20 runs, he knows exactly how to get them. His experience, eight out of 10 times has come good for us,” he added.
The 30-year-old said the former captain was a legend of the game and hoped he continued in the same vein.
“We have quite a few players who play instinctive cricket and follow their game plans. He has such a keen understanding of the game. Always sends us feedback, that you know 260 is a good score. He’s a legend of the game. We all know that. Just hope he can continue.” said Kohli.
Even before the start of this World Cup, Kohli had hailed Dhoni for the wealth of experience he adds to the Indian team.
