The head coach for Indian Cricket Team Ravi Shastri in his recent interview revealed he has seen legendary Sachin Tendulkar getting angry but not a calm and composed character like MS Dhoni. Nonchalant in his approach, Shastri added Dhoni is a ‘legend’ who will go down as one of the greatest cricketers the world has ever witnessed.
“He is a legend. He will go down as one of our great cricketers. I have never seen an individual so sound. I have seen Sachin at times get angry. Not this man,” the Daily Telegraph quoted Shastri as saying.
Talking about maintaining the coolness, the familiar name which comes in mind is Dhoni. Over the years, he had emerged as one of the finest cricketers after proving his mettle during the crunch situations of the game.
“That is because he has the best angle. He sees things. He is great with the guys, they all worship him because he was captain for 10 years. To have that kind of respect in the dressing room and experience is massive,” Shastri said of Dhoni.
Recently, the 37-year-old Dhoni has weathered the criticism for his 96-ball 51 in the opener of the three-match ODI series against Australia at Sydney.
However, Dhoni has returned with a back at Adelaide to score 55 off 54 deliveries before helping Team India to win the ODI series 2-1 with his unbeaten knock of 87 off 114 balls.
A player-like MSD can’t be replaced:
Shastri remarked a cricketer like veteran cricketer Dhoni is hard to find while adding such professional comes once in three to four decades.
“You can’t. Such players only come once in 30 or 40 years. That is what I tell Indians. Enjoy while it lasts,” Shastri stated.
Shastri didn’t shy away from saying that it would be a hard thing to replace Dhoni once he decides to hang his boots.
“When he goes you will see a void that will be very hard to fill,” Shastri said.
The 56-year-old Shastri before landing into a top-brass post served himself as a cricketer and then commentator. He stated Dhoni is an ‘introvert’ who has not given any detailed cricketing interview in 2011. It further saw India winning the World Cup before routing Sri Lanka National Cricket Team at the iconic Mumbai in Wankhede.
“Whether he gets a zero, gets a hundred, whether he wins the World Cup or loses in the first round, MS is the same man. He is simply consistent with his body language and composure. It amazes me how he does it. Since 2011 he has not given one interview,” Shastri said.
Dhoni’s strategy has often impressed one and all.
Shastri on Rishabh Pant and his phone calls to MS Dhoni:
Shastri further maintained promising young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is a talented cricketer whose idol is Dhoni. While complementing Pant, Shastri reiterated he could emerge as next big thing after Ranchi-based stalwart.
“I would love to. He has the talent. His hero is MS. Every day he is on the phone to MS. I think during the Test series he must have spoken more to MS than anyone else,” Shastri concludes.
It’s pertinent to mention that it would be interesting to see whether Pant would live upto the expectations for a decent show in the series Down Under.