Former Australia captain Ian Chappell has lauded MS Dhoni for his stellar batting show in the just-concluded ODI series against Australia. Dhoni scored 193 runs from three matches to help India win its maiden bilateral ODI series Down Under.
Dhoni, who recorded three consecutive ODI fifties in 2019 after not registering one in the last calendar year, was also adjudged Player-of-the-Series as the Men in Blue clinched the series 2-1.
“Nobody has Dhoni’s nerve for finishing off victories. Many times I’ve thought, “He’s left it too late this time”, only to be amazed as he produced a couple of powerful shots to bring India a nail-biting victory,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.
“His outward calm is no illusion since his tactical adeptness in these situations is proof his brain continues to work perfectly,” he added.
Comparing the veteran Indian wicketkeeper to Michael Bevan, who is deemed as one of the greatest ODI finishers, Chappell said Dhoni has surpassed the former Australian No.6.
“Where Bevan finished matches with fours, Dhoni does so with sixes. The one area - running between wickets - where you’d expect the fleet-footed Bevan to have an advantage is debatable, because even at age 37, Dhoni is among the quickest in the game,” he wrote.
“Even allowing for improved bats and the advantage of playing T20 cricket, statistically Dhoni is superior to Bevan. There can be no argument - Dhoni is the best ODI finisher,” Chappell further commented.
In 2018, MS Dhoni averaged 25 in the 50-over format from 19 matches and thus questions were raised whether the veteran wicketkeeper deserves to be in India’s World Cup scheme of things. However, a lot has changed in only three ODIs this year.
“His trademark lofted on-drive comfortably cleared one of the longer Adelaide Oval boundaries to settle the issue in that particular finishing effort,” Chappell wrote.
“It was a clear reminder that any thought that his power might be waning was only wishful thinking on the part of opponents. That he achieved the feat in stifling heat only added to the lustre of his performance,” he concluded.
