MS Dhoni Surpasses Virat Kohli After Adelaide Masterclass
Jan 17, 2019 at 8:35 AM
MS Dhoni rolled back the clocks with a brilliant match-winning fifty against Australia in the second ODI this week. The former India skipper had entered the series under a lot of pressure due to his indifferent showing with the bat in recent times. However, he hit the ground running in the ongoing series. The veteran batsman scored a fighting 51 in the first ODI but faced criticism for facing 96 deliveries as India lost the game by 34 runs.
But Dhoni was in his elements in Adelaide, a ground where he has rarely failed to deliver. He came to the crease when India were in a precarious position despite skipper Virat Kohli looking in ominous form at the other end. India needed 139 off 118 deliveries when Dhoni joined Kohli at the crease and there were apprehensions that the World Cup-winning skipper’s knack of using too many deliveries early on can hurt India.
However, Dhoni showed why he still has a lot to offer and mastered the chase by scoring 55 off 54 balls. He also hit a six on the first ball of the last over when India needed seven before taking a single to complete the win. The innings was a tight slap on the critics who have not squandered a single chance to take a shot at Dhoni.
In doing so, Dhoni achieved a big milestone. He pipped his successor Kohli in the tally of highest batting average while chasing in winning causes (minimum 1000 runs).Kohli has an outstanding batting average of 99.05 while chasing in winning causes. However, Dhoni took his batting average to 99.85 after his Adelaide masterclass.
Skipper Kohli also praised Dhoni after his match-winning knock.
“There is no doubt that he should be a part of this team. Tonight was MS classic. He calculates the game so well. He takes the game till the end, when only he knows what’s going on in his mind, and he backs himself to hit those big shots at the end,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.