The last couple of ODI games against Australians have really shown the importance of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s presence in the Indian National Cricket Team. The batting lineup looked ordinary while Virat Kohli – The Captain struggled during the crunch situations of the game. Meanwhile, Anil Kumble speaks on the impact if MS Dhoni misses out from the playing XI.
MS Dhoni played the initial three ODI games of the series before opting for a rest in a final couple of ODI matches. He played his last match at his home ground Ranchi, where India failed to chase the total thus giving one point in the series to Australia. Later, the visitors managed to win a remaining couple of games and seal the series.
MS Dhoni reads the game better than anyone – Anil Kumble
The former Indian skipper quoted that MS Dhoni reads the game better than anyone, as he stands behind the stumps. Further, he added that the chat between Virat Kohli and Dhoni would certainly help the skipper to take a right call during the course of the game.
He also highlighted Dhoni’s guidance to the bowlers, especially, for the spinners, regarding their line and lengths for a specific batsman. Pointing out all of them, Kumble strongly believes that Virat Kohli needs MS Dhoni.
“I think he is certainly more comfortable, rather saying better captain; he is probably a lot more comfortable when MS is behind the stumps and then the conversation between him and Virat definitely helps him make the right decisions,” he said in a conversation with Cricketnext.
“I mean it comes naturally to MS,” said Kumble. “He had been the captain for a long long time. MS is behind the stumps so he reads the game better than anybody else. He obviously is in conversation with the bowler on the kind of lines that he need to bowl, the kind of pace that the bowlers need to bowl. And also with the field placing.”
Virat Kohli depends a lot on MS Dhoni at least in ODI Games:
Further, he explained that Virat Kohli would get a brain like Mahendra Singh Dhoni during the last 10 overs when the pressure will mount high and the Indian skipper will be standing in the deep guarding the fence. Kumble felt that it was something, which missed in the series against Australia.
“I think Virat certainly depends a lot on MS Dhoni in One Day Cricket, for him to have those proper field placings. So that is something he probably had missed in the last two matches. And if you look at last 10 or 15 overs – the second half or the final powerplay Virat is generally manning the boundary,” he said.
”So yes, when MS is there he is on the boundary line and suddenly he had to man the last two overs and the last ten overs under pressure. So yes he certainly depends a lot on MS Dhoni,” Kumble inferred.
All in all, as Anil Kumble said, it is quite evident that Virat Kohli is based on MS Dhoni, at least in ODI games. He looked ordinary in the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni at Mohali and Delhi ODI games.