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MS Dhoni copped a lot of flak from friends and foe - but this post which we chose as POTW is as good a defense of the Indian stalwart as can be found.
Congratulations to [MENTION=6745]DHONI183[/MENTION] for winning the POTW
http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?286784&p=10426751#post10426751
Congratulations to [MENTION=6745]DHONI183[/MENTION] for winning the POTW
http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?286784&p=10426751#post10426751
There has been a lot of criticism on Dhoni´s batting, and especially his approach, over the last few years. I´ve always kept quite and not defended him, because often it was justified too I must admit. I was amongst those who argued with Indian posters over here that his innings against England a couple of weeks ago made absolutely no sense at all, because what´s point in defending the indefensible? However, it seems that it has become quite a trend to blame him for everything going wrong in this world, from global warming to the crisis in the Middle East. His case is like that daughter-in-law who´s scolded one day for serving only one bread to her mother-in-law and thus leaving her hungry; and when she serves her a couple of those the next day, she´s scolded again because the sudden increase has caused the woman stomach ache! Hell, three years ago, he was even criticised heavily for making 15 not out off nine balls in the World T20 Semi-Final, as if nine balls is a great sample size!
I´d like to be told how exactly was MS or his innings at fault for the semi-final defeat? Those of you who´re after him for batting slowly, do you even realise how foolish it would´ve looked on his part if he had taken a risk and got out, whilst Jadeja was going berserk at the other end? Would you´ve forgiven him if he´d left Jadeja alone to bat alongside the tail-enders in the middle of a partnership which looked great to be winning the match altogether? We can all talk about taking calculated risks all day, but do you realise that it just takes one bad shot, mistimed or mis-hit, and the innings is done for you, and the tail would´ve been left to partner Jadeja? At least I would´ve been very disappointed if he´d done that.
Australia´s Carey is a prime example here. He has been one of the stars of the tournament. A revelation if you like. Battled the initial collapse beautifully with Smith in the Semi-Final when they were 14/3 at one stage. Stitched together a brilliant partnership with Smith. Australia looked on course to be getting a total around 260, or even over perhaps. He played a terrible shot, was caught at deep mid-wicket, Australia collapsed to 222. And mind you, he still had Maxwell and Stoinis to come, yet the shot proved to be the turning point of the match. We can make it simple and ask both Smith and Jadeja: did Smith prefer Carey´s shot or did Jadeja prefer MS minimising every risk at the other end? In fact, leave this comparison aside and let Jadeja be the judge: how relieved was he that he was batting with a partner at the other end who almost carried a guarantee of not getting out (given the number of wickets lost), or did he feel being put under pressure by MS´ slow scoring rate? I think you´ll have your answer! Returning to the point about taking calculated risks towards the last few overs. Jadeja´s innings in times of quality and value was miles, miles ahead of MS´ innings, but remember that the moment the last five overs started, MS right away became the more key wicket of the two, simply because he has a greater hitting ability, on papers at least, and has finished matches for India time and time again batting with the lower-order or the tail, whereas Jadeja has hardly ever done that. So it became all the more important for MS to have not preferred to take risks and to have left it to Jadeja, especially given that that had been the plan working for them throughout the partnership.
As for slow scoring, a former Indian cricketer even put the blame on MS for Pandya´s shot, implying that MS´ slow scoring put pressure on him. So let me get this straight: Pandya, who himself had made 32 off 62 deliveries by that stage, felt being under pressure to go for his shots because of MS?! Does that even make sense? What I gather is that Steve Smith is allowed to make 85 off 119 balls, Carey too can get away with a 46 off 70 balls, Williamson is louded for his 67 off 95, Taylor is praised for his 74 off 90 balls, both Pant and Pandya are allowed to scrap through to 32 each off 56 and 62 balls respectively, but MS isn´t allowed to make 50 off 72 even when the team found itself at 71/5 and then finally at 92/6 at one stage.
Another rather striking thing here is the favouritsm in the media and amongst the former cricketers and experts. All in unison have expressed the thought that Pant should be forgiven for his horrible shot (and Pandya too) because of him being young, naïve and inexperienced. I don´t oppose this, and it´s a noble and quite a romantic thought, but when was the last time when an Indian batsman got so much leniency despite playing such a poor shot at such a crucial stage? Was Dhoni forgiven for his failure in the Indian Oil Cup Final and then the TVS Cup Final back in 2005, when he had been playing only since half a year? Was he forgiven for his mindless shot in the Mumbai Test Match 2006? Was he forgiven for playing a stupid shot of Brett Lee in an ODI in Malaysia in 2006, despite it being a big no-ball? Was MS not grilled for his slow start against the West Indies in the ICC Champions Trophy 2006, despite having fully made up for it later in the innings to have allowed India to get a fighting total? Were people not asking for his head following the first-round exit in the ODI World Cup 2007? I tell you, he WAS NOT! So why this special sympathy for Pant (and also Pandya)? A lot of these very experts questioned his technique and also his commitment for the national team altogether!
Now, people are even blaming him for not batting up the order himself, totally overlooking that Kohli is the captain of the team. As a senior member of the side, to give inputs whenever asked by the captain, or to give ideas with regards to whom to bowl or where the fielders should be placed is entirely different to saying that "Send me up the order!" in a world cup semi-final, when the coach, the batting consultant, captain and the whole team management has made up its mind to assign to you a role to bat lowest down the order - not lower, but lowest of all the recognised batsmen. In fact, Manjrekar pointed out a scene in his analysis during the semi-final itself, where MS voiced his thought with regards to what line and length to bowl, and Kohli shook his head in negation. MS immediately walked back to his keeping position. So it doesn´t work like that, unless of course you´re hell-bent on blaming him for everything that goes wrong. In fact, I´d be the first one to criticise him for batting so low if it comes out one day that they all wanted him to bat higher up the order but he himself refused to do so. Also, for those who´re ready to blame him by accepting that he chooses the batting order, do they also praise him for example for sending Pandya up the order in a couple of games where he batted really well? So you can´t have both ways!
India didn´t lose because of MS or his slow batting, neither did they necessarily lose because of him not batting up the order. It was a strategic miss by all means, but it just takes one good ball or a bad shot for a batsman to get out, and this could very well have happened. India lost because they did not have another MS in the team batting in the middle-order. One more batsman with a calm head like him and the ability to soak up the pressure, and the match was India´s all the way.
If this was his last international appearance, if he retires now or gets dropped, so be it. I´ll take it. I take pride in the fact that he was only one of the two batsmen on one of the biggest stages of cricket, who were willing to play for the team and fought tooth and nail to get their team over the line. We can call him Mr. Cool all that we want to, but pressure does take toll on everyone. The moment India lost early wickets, he knew right away that this match could well come down to him. He was hardly seated even for a minute. Walking to and fro, checking and examining his bat, its wood again and again. He knows, he knew that the blame of a loss will ultimately fall on his shoulders. It was a sad sight to witness in a sense. However, again, if this turns out to be his last match, it just defines his career and his value to the team. Fighting a collapse, stitching together a partnership and then requiring to score at almost an impossible rate with the tail. Many he won, many he lost, but it would ultimately be his dismissal which would decide the match, and so indeed it happened. For a great part of his career, Tendulkar would be India´s first and the last hope. Dhoni wasn´t the first hope of course, but often he was India´s last hope. I take pride in this and move on in life! I know he tried, he gave it his best shot on Wednesday, and that´s what matters to me. It never mattered to me beyond that.
! I hope it didn´t offend anyone. Anyway, I thought of briefing addressing a few points.
