Virat rescues former skipper after Dhoni face sharp criticism following India’s defeat
Skipper Virat Kohli had to once again come to the rescue of under-fire former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose painstaking 37 off 58 balls, came in for sharp criticism after England beat India by 86 runs in the second ODI at the lord's.
Hailed as one of the best ever finishers in limited overs, Dhoni in the past couple of years have struggled to finish a lot of high pressure games unless there has been top-order support from the other end.
India were chasing a competitive target of 323 on a lord's track that slowed down and for once the top order failed with a lot of responsibility on Dhoni. However Dhoni failed to force the pace with India managing only 236 in 50 overs.
When former England skipper Nasser Hussain asked the question about Dhoni's approach, Kohli didn't look amused.
"This thing comes up again and again when he's not able to play the way he does," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
"It's unfortunate that people jump to conclusions quickly. When he does well, people call him the best finisher ever, and when things do not go well, people pounce on him," the Indian captain seemed trifle irritated with knee jerk reactions from fans and critics alike.
As he has done umpteen times, Kohli defended Dhoni.
"The idea was to take the innings deep. He has the experience but sometimes it doesn't come off. We totally believe in him and the ability of all the players," the skipper said.
With less than a year to go for the World Cup, Dhoni is very much in the scheme of things of the Indian team management for his vast experience and ability to read any match situations.
However his waning abilities to carry the team alone in pressure situations at times has come under scanner.
In fact, it was a rare occasion when Dhoni was booed by the Indian fans after he blocked a few balls.
Yuzvendra Chahal, who came for the post-match press conference said that there was no message from the dressing room for Dhoni to accelerate.
"I don't know what was said to him (when he changed bats). After Hardik was dismissed, there were only me, Siddarth Kaul, Umesh Yadav and Kuldeep. So it wasn't like there were 2-3 specialist batsmen remaining. He hadn't batted much, so this was a chance to get a knock. If he had hit a shot earlier and got out, we couldn't have even batted all 50 overs," Chahal said.
Since the home ODI series against Australia last September, Dhoni has batted 13 times scoring 267 runs with four not outs. The average has been 29.66 which can be put in perspective considering at what time of the innings, he comes into bat.
However the most telling statistic is a strike-rate of 78.07 which is an indication that he is not able to force the pace down the order right at the onset.
With Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Kl Rahul batting in the first four positions, the latest that the former skipper can come into bat is No 5 but Suresh Raina is being seen as an enforcer in that position.
It leaves Dhoni with either No 6 or 7 depending on where Kohli wants the big-hitting Hardik Pandya.
"Had it been 80 in 7 overs and if Hardik would have been around, Dhoni would have still gone for it. But with 120 odd runs and Hardik being dismissed, he knew that chase was out of bounds. We shouldn't judge a player on the basis of one match," former India pacer Ashish Nehra said at the post-match TV show.
Kohli on his part felt that it was one bad day and also the fact that England brought forth their A game.
"We started pretty well with the bat. It was a good wicket but got slower. When we lost three wickets in three overs that hurt us. I thought that's where we fell behind. Credit to the bowlers, they stuck to their guns. Today was a day when we couldn't get going."
"Moeen and Rashid are both quality bowlers in this format and sensed we couldn't take risks. They created pressure in the middle overs. If it was one down we could have attacked a bit more," Kohli said.
Trying to pick cues
Joe Root had faced only four deliveries from Kuldeep Yadav being dismissed twice in earlier games and his primary aim during the second ODI against India was to "pick as many cues as possible" while facing the left-arm wrist-spinner, who has created quite an impression in the English ranks.
The best part about Root's hundred was his assured batting against the chinaman, which is a big positive for England going into the five-match Test series.
"For me, having not faced a lot of Kuldeep for example, it was about picking as many cues up as possible throughout and makes sure I don't get caught in the cold in leeds, if I start against spin," Root said at the post-match press conference.
"I have only faced four balls against him in the last couple of games. But ultimately you have got to trust your game and your technique. I felt that the four balls I did face, I thought I was picking him okay.
"So it was more about spending some time out there and trusting the way I play spin. I haven't faced much of his type of bowling but having a few overs under my belt gave me quite a lot of confidence," Root said after his 12th ODI hundred ensured a comfirtable 86-run win for England.
For Root, playing Kuldeep is a learning process rather looking forward to the Test series.
"You are always trying to learn as a player and always trying to pick things up when you next play someone, whether individuals or a team. I don't think it is about looking too far forward in terms of Test cricket just yet with the game on Tuesday," he said.
However the England Test captain admitted that confidence gained from facing Kuldeep will help in Test matches should the youngster find a place in the playing XI.
"Again on the turning surface, you make sure you are playing in the right manner and working things out. It might work out if he (Kuldeep) is in Test squad and it could hold me in good stead. Ultimately it is about making sure when we come to the Headingley game, we are ready and prepared for that," he said.
Root feels that while playing Kuldeep, he trusted his technique that has given him results for all these years.
"You have got to make sure that you stay strong and trust the stuff you have been doing well for such a long period of time. So I was pleased with the way I went about today. Most importantly, we sit here 1-1 in the series and have got a great opportunity in leeds," he added.
England make two changes
England have released two players ahead of the series-deciding third and final ODI against India while bringing in an in-from James Vince.
The series finale is to be held in Headingley on Tuesday.
Dawid Malan has been released from the squad to play for England lions against India A. All-rounder Sam Curran too has been released for the same.
The 27-year-old batsman Vince has been called up for the leeds game.
For Hampshire, he scored 109 versus Somerset and 171 against Yorkshire in England's domestic one-day tournament. It is unlikely he will feature in the playing eleven on Tuesday, though.
The three-match series is locked at 1-1. India won the first game and hosts England drew parity with their 86-run victory at the lord's on Saturday.