The Dhoni who led Chennai Super Kings to an emotional title win was a man on a mission, batting with total freedom and without a hint of hesitation. It was thought that the swagger that came back into Dhoni’s batting would translate into international cricket as well, as India approached the 2019 World Cup.
But during the Asia Cup in the UAE last year, Dhoni went back into his shell as he consumed ample number of deliveries in pursuit of securing his wicket and taking the innings deep.
That approach was visible in the first ODI against Australia in Sydney where Dhoni – playing his first competitive match after a break of two months – made 51 from 96 balls and couldn’t take India past the finish line as Rohit Sharma’s century went in vain while pursuing 289.
The scenario changed in the second ODI in Adelaide as Dhoni came in at 160-3 with the team chasing 299, and not 4-3 as was the case in the first match.
The veteran keeper could afford to take some time to start and as Kohli took the risk from the other end, all Dhoni did was not consume as many balls as he did in the first match. He ended up hitting the winning six in the final over, finishing with 55 from 54 balls.
That is what Dhoni has turned himself into on international cricket. Right now, he is not the dasher in international cricket that many want him to be, no matter how many glimpses he gives us in IPL.
There is still a vulnerability in the Indian lower order which does not allow Dhoni to play a full-blooded cover drive even off driveable balls from pacers. Dhoni has taken drives almost completely out of his game as he looks to nudge the ball around for singles and plays his attacking shots almost entirely on the leg side.
Even if India end up winning the third ODI in Melbourne, Dhoni might well continue to bat within himself in the absence of substantial contributions from those after him.
Best average in successful run-chases in ODI #cricket:
— Madhav Sharma (@HashTagCricket) January 15, 2019
MS Dhoni-99.85 (2 hundreds)
Virat Kohli: 99.04 (21 hundreds) #Legends pic.twitter.com/DBNSGf32Lr
Which is why the promise that Dinesh Karthik showed during his 14-ball 25 in the Adelaide ODI is of great significance. Not only in the context of the series and team balance, but also Dhoni’s batting.
In the chase, Karthik came in and played a refreshing innings full of paddle shots and scoops which gave Dhoni the confidence to take the match to the final over and hit the first ball for a six. Once Karthik gets going and plays more match-winning 25s and 30s, as he did in the Nidahas Trophy final against Bangladesh last year, Dhoni and the management will be able to relax because for a long period, numbers six and seven could not be relied for consistent runs.
It is clear Dhoni needs to bat as high as possible because let’s be honest, he still takes 20 balls to get going.
But if batsmen coming after him start to post 15-ball 30s, you will see a different Dhoni. And maybe, the Dhoni we saw in IPL 2018 will make a reappearance at the 2019 World Cup. Glorious.
