AUS v IND 2018-19: Dean Jones defends MS Dhoni's slow innings in SCG ODI

Virat Kohli needs to stop the Australian middle-order to win matches in Australia, says Jones.

MS Dhoni was heavily criticised for his 96-ball 51 innings at the SCG | Getty Images

Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones came out in support of MS Dhoni concerning his critical innings at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), where India lost the first One Day International of the three-match Series against Australia last week.

While chasing 289 at the SCG, India needed quick runs from their middle-order batsmen. There were a lot of expectations from Dhoni,but the wicket-keeper batsman could not live up to the expectations, as he was heavily criticized for his 96-ball 51 innings at the SCG.

However, Jones defended Dhoni’s approach at the SCG, saying that the former Indian captain walked in at a time when his team was in a critical phase having lost three wickets inside four overs at the SCG and that required him to dig in and guide the tourists out of the nervy phase.

Jones wrote in his column for The Times of India, “I cannot believe how much criticism MS Dhoni has got about losing the game, and how the press and all the pundits in the world have gone after him.”

He continued, “Do people actually not understand what it takes to come in when the team is four for three? Number one, you have got to stop the bleeding, and he did that. Number two, he got a shocking lbw decision. And Number 3, at the end of the game with around six overs to go, Australia were worried, mainly due to the efforts of Rohit Sharma and Dhoni.”

Jones signed off by saying, “What Virat needs to do is stop the Australian middle order; they have made sure they’ve got guys in the middle who play spin well, particularly (Peter) Handscomb.”

(With Times of India Inputs)

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 15 Jan, 2019

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