Melbourne: ‘No one is more committed to Indian cricket’ than Mahendra Singh Dhoni and batting at No.5 is the ideal spot for him, said Virat Kohli here Friday in stout defense of the former captain.
Dhoni faced criticism for slow batting in the ODI series-opener in Sydney before redeeming his pride and reputation with match-winning contributions in the Adelaide and Melbourne ODIs. His three half centuries on the trot earned him the man of the series award.
Kohli was quick to point out that Dhoni should be allowed breathing space keeping in mind his contribution for India.
“I think first as a team we are very happy for Dhoni. That he is amongst the runs, because it is very important to get runs under your belt to get that rhythm and confidence back. Especially when you have not been playing so much international cricket,” said the India captain at the post-match press conference.
“Many things happen on the outside. People say a lot of things but as individuals we know that there is no one more committed to Indian cricket than Dhoni and people should let him have his space because he has contributed so much for the nation. They should let him figure out things on his own and what he needs to do. He is one of the most intelligent cricketers,” added the Indian skipper.
The skipper also reckoned that the just-concluded Australia series has proved that No.5 is the most logical spot for Dhoni.
“Dhoni batted at No.4 in 2016 for a while. But after that he has been pretty happy playing at five and six for the team. We feel that No.5 is the ideal position for him. And if you saw him bat at Adelaide he was pretty comfortable in that position because it allows him to do a bit of both – get some game time as well as finish matches off,” Kohli pointed out.
Meanwhile India head coach Ravi Shastri termed Dhoni ‘a once in 40 years player’ who will be very difficult to replace once he bids adieu to the game.
“He (Dhoni) is a legend. He will go down as one of our great cricketers. I have never seen an individual so sound. I have seen Sachin at times get angry. Not this man,” Shastri was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph here, Saturday.
Shastri made it clear that a player of Dhoni’s calibre can’t be replaced. “You can’t. Such players only come once in 30 or 40 years. That is what I tell Indians. Enjoy while it lasts. When he goes you will see a void that will be very hard to fill,” asserted Shastri.
Australian coach Justin Langer, on the other hand marked Dhoni as an all-time great and said that he is amazed by the player’s fitness even though the Indian wicket-keeper is 37-plus.
“He (Dhoni) is 37 years old. His running between the wickets is elite, his fitness elite. For him to run between the wickets for three days in a row, it was 40 degrees Celcius the other day, and play like that, he is a superstar of the game and that’s what Australians should be aspiring to be — superstars of the game. Dhoni should be the role model for every aspiring Australian cricketer,” Langer said Friday.
Agencies