Combined efforts by the batsmen and bowlers helped India beat West Indies by 93 runs in their third One Day International in Antigua on late Friday night. Bowling the hosts out in just 38.1 overs for 158, the visitors took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
After being put in to bat, the Indian batsmen struggled to force the pace for the most part of the innings. It took an end innings flourish from MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav, who added 81 runs in the last 7.4 overs, to take the team to a competitive total. From 151-3 at the end of 40 overs, India eventually finished at 251-4.
Run-scoring wasn’t an easy task on a track which had a bit of dampness and offered the pacers some assistance, and India needed a batsman with solid technique, sound temperament and someone who could graft; Rahane was the perfect man for the job.
After scoring 62 & 103 in the first two ODIs, Rahane scored 72 on Friday, making an irresistible case for him to be considered reserve opener in the Indian one-day team.
Milestone For Dhoni
The finishing touches were provided by MS Dhoni – who walked in to bat after Yuvraj Singh was dismissed in the 27th over. Dhoni surpassed a milestone during the course of his 78 not out; he climbed ahead of Adam Gilchrist’s aggregate of 9,410 runs in ODIs, to become the second-highest run-scorer among wicketkeeper-batsmen in ODIs.
It is a testament to Dhoni’s fitness and ability, that despite having to cope with the demands of being a wicketkeeper and batting in the middle order, he has still been able to score a mountain of runs.
Dhoni’s Early Innings Struggles
Though he scored a vital 78 on Friday, it wasn’t the usual busy innings that one tends to associate with MS Dhoni. It has recently been observed that Dhoni tends to get tied down by spinners. At the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Friday, Devendra Bishoo had the ball in hand when Dhoni walked out to bat, and the leg-spinner dominated proceedings.
It could be a trend, it could be that spinners have figured out the pace and the lines to bowl, or it could just be one of those career phases, but Dhoni really struggled to get the leg-spinner off the square; he faced 36 balls off Bishoo – and did not score off 23 of them!
Ajay Jadeja, one of the commentators working with the official broadcaster for this series, made a pertinent observation – he remarked that while Dhoni’s ability to find the boundary had remained intact, his ability to be busy at the crease had diminished in the last year or so. There’s truth to that; those who have watched Dhoni in recent times will have noticed that he consumes plenty of deliveries – particularly against spinners, where earlier he would nudge the ball into the gaps and collect ones at will.
Dhoni Unfazed by Pressure, Provides the Flourish
In the first part of his innings, Dhoni was tied down and scored at a strike-rate of 41.03 – he had played 25 dot balls in the first 39 balls he had faced.
Then, the acceleration. He scored 34 runs off the next 27 balls he faced, and reached his half-century. In the last five overs, he faced 13 balls and scored 28 runs ensuring that even a single delivery did not go unaccounted.
Dhoni’s innings on Friday was a good example of how to construct an innings; most players would have felt the pressure of the tortoise-like start and caved under pressure.
Dhoni on the other hand remains unfazed and thrives under pressure. He was lucky when a catch was put down when he was on 28. Good players capitalise on chances that come their way and Dhoni ensured he made the West Indies pay for their largesse on the field.
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