MS Dhoni’s ‘dry ball will turn prediction’ in the CSK vs RR IPL 2021 match which resulted in Ravindra Jadeja getting Jos Buttler’s wicket in the next ball, impressed former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar, Scott Styris, and Pragyan Ojha.
Undoubtedly MS Dhoni’s cricket reading and leadership skills are often praised and it came to the fore again when the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain provided an ideal demonstration by predicting that a dry ball will turn, which immediately led to the dismissal of Jos Buttler from a Ravindra Jadeja delivery that spun past his bat.
MS Dhoni Heard In The Stump Microphone That Dry Ball Will Turn
Chasing 189 for victory, Rajasthan Royals were on course with Jos Buttler going all guns blazing. The RR wicketkeeper-batsman hit a six off Jadeja’s bowling in the 10th over which prompted a ball-change as it had landed deep into the stands.
At the start of Jadeja’s next over, MS Dhoni was heard in the stump mic saying in Hindi that the dry ball will turn. As astonishing as it may sound, the first ball of the 12th overpitched around leg stump and spun past Jos Buttler’s bat to hit the stumps, leaving both MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja overjoyed.
Sunil Gavaskar spotted MS Dhoni’s brilliance from behind the stumps and lauded the CSK captain.
“The bowling changes he made (was brilliant). The moment the ball was changed after Jos Buttler hit that six and a dry ball came, he said it in Hindi to Jadeja that the next ball will turn and it did turn.
“Jos Buttler got out and then he gave the ball to Moeen Ali. A dry ball for a spinner… Again, brilliant captaincy from Dhoni,” Sunil Gavaskar said in the post-match show on Star Sports.
The legendary India cricketer further credited MS Dhoni for his field placements in his 200th match as CSK skipper.
“Very impressed (with Dhoni’s captaincy)… In his 200th match as captain of CSK, he was spot on with just about everything. The bowling changes, the field placements.
“Jadeja took 4 catches but apart from that, look at the number of boundaries he saved and that is so important, to keep the right fielders in the right position and Dhoni had that,” he added.
Sunil Gavaskar was not the only one who spotted MS Dhoni’s advice to Ravindra Jadeja. Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha said that the advice changed the momentum of the match after RR was cruising at 87/2 in the 12th over with Jos Buttler and Shivam Dube at the crease.
And #MSD’s advice to #Jadeja changes the momentum in favour of #csk “bowlers biggest cushion #Dhoni” #RRvCSK #VIVOIPL
— Pragyan Ojha (@pragyanojha) April 19, 2021
In the same over, Ravindra Jadeja got another one to spin back sharply to left-hander Shivam Dube and trapped him LBW. MS Dhoni sensed that the spinners could now call the shots and he threw the ball to off-spinner Moeen Ali.
Moeen Ali Returns With 3/7 As CSK Wins By 45 Runs
The off-spinner Moeen Ali did not disappoint. He got David Miller out in his first over and then in his next, dismissed Riyan Parag and Chris Morris identically to end any chance of RR winning. Moeen Ali returned with 3 for 7 in his 3 overs to be awarded MOM as CSK restricted RR with 143 for 9, winning the match comfortably by 45 runs.
Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris who represented CSK during his playing days said he did not even expect that the ball would turn so much in RR’s innings.
“I don’t think anybody would have expected the ball to turn as much as it did in the 2nd innings. But Dhoni read the game expertly, he deserved a victory in his 200th game as captain of CSK. Simply, the brilliance he has shown for the franchise over the last 12 or more years.
“I think he is a bit more animated in this season, look at the way he celebrates the wickets, he knows how important it is for CSK to get back after last year’s performance,” said Scott Styris.
MS Dhoni’s brilliant game reading skills in the CSK vs RR IPL 2021 match impressed the trio of former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar, Scott Styris, and Pragyan Ojha.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) registered their second consecutive victory in the season after beating Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 45 runs in Match 12 of the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday.
Moeen Ali starred with the ball while Ravindra Jadeja grabbed 4 catches, adding to his two crucial breakthroughs that powered CSK to a comprehensive win over RR.
Brief Scores: Chennai Super Kings 188/9 (Faf du Plessis 33, Ambati Rayudu 27; Chetan Sakariya 3/36) beat Rajasthan Royals 143/9 (Jos Buttler 49, Jaydev Unadkat 24; Moeen Ali 3/7) by 45 runs.