I know I am a bit late writing this post. Nevertheless, I find it very important to write about the innings MS Dhoni played at Chennai. MS Dhoni's 224 was one of the best Test Match hundreds I have ever seen, at least by an Indian. It is fair to say that the innings MS Dhoni played at Chennai really deserved the word 'Great'.
Tactically the innings was superb. Dhoni had come into bat at a fairly difficult situation. India had just lost the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar. Lyon had just started getting enough purchase from the surface. Not many runs were scored in the first one hour of play and it almost looked that the game was slowly drifting in Australia's favour. And the Dhoni entered. He entered and he counter-attacked Lyon - India's biggest threat on the turning Chennai wicket. His calculated risks pushed the fielders back. And then, he could milk Lyon and take him out of the attack. Lyon was the biggest threat to the Indian batting and Dhoni with his counter-attacking cricket took him out of the attack.
But what stood out for me, in the Dhoni double hundred was his running between the wickets in the fag end of the day. Dhoni was ready to convert the ones into twos even in the last few overs of the day. There is little doubt that MS Dhoni is the fittest member of the Indian team. Just to put things to perspective, it is important to remind ourselves that MS Dhoni is full time wicket-keeper, captain and an important batsman in all the three formats for India and he does it for his franchise as well. Even with all this workload he never misses a game due to an injury. Now, that is quite commendable.
Would this innings mark a beginning of more consistency from Dhoni the batsman in Test Match cricket? This is a question which only time would answer. He is a very useful Test batsman, but not quite the force which he is in ODI cricket. In ODIs, he has surely done enough to achieve the "Great" status. I would like to believe that this knock would begin the making of the "Great" status in test match cricket.
I am writing this post after the Indian win in Hyderabad, with India 2-0 up in the series. One would realise the impact of Dhoni's innings carried forward to next Test match as well. It actually resulted in Australia leaving out Lyon for the second test match. I believe Lyon was the biggest threat for India.
Although late to write the post; it was truly an incredible innings by MS Dhoni.
But what stood out for me, in the Dhoni double hundred was his running between the wickets in the fag end of the day. Dhoni was ready to convert the ones into twos even in the last few overs of the day. There is little doubt that MS Dhoni is the fittest member of the Indian team. Just to put things to perspective, it is important to remind ourselves that MS Dhoni is full time wicket-keeper, captain and an important batsman in all the three formats for India and he does it for his franchise as well. Even with all this workload he never misses a game due to an injury. Now, that is quite commendable.
Would this innings mark a beginning of more consistency from Dhoni the batsman in Test Match cricket? This is a question which only time would answer. He is a very useful Test batsman, but not quite the force which he is in ODI cricket. In ODIs, he has surely done enough to achieve the "Great" status. I would like to believe that this knock would begin the making of the "Great" status in test match cricket.
I am writing this post after the Indian win in Hyderabad, with India 2-0 up in the series. One would realise the impact of Dhoni's innings carried forward to next Test match as well. It actually resulted in Australia leaving out Lyon for the second test match. I believe Lyon was the biggest threat for India.
Although late to write the post; it was truly an incredible innings by MS Dhoni.
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