Published 09:48 IST, January 19th 2019
WATCH: MS Dhoni proves why he has the 'best brain' in cricket
If he had critics behind his back prior to the ODI series against Australia, then MS Dhoni very well made sure that the very same people now love him
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If he had critics behind his back prior to the ODI series against Australia, then MS Dhoni very well made sure that the same people now adore him. The former Indian skipper, without using any words, gave a befitting reply to all those who questioned his credentials.
In the first ODI, Dhoni was in the line of fire for his 96-ball 51 as India lost the match by 34 runs. His style of play, going slow early on and taking the match till the final overs, failed in Sydney and provided his critics the ammunition to lash out at him.
Despite criticism and pressure, Dhoni did not change his way of batting and continued the very same way in the remaining two ODIs. And the result of that was India winning those two matches, and in turn a first ever bilateral ODI series against Australia in Australia.
During the third ODI in Melbourne, MS' sharp mind was caught on camera as the world found out the trick behind his success. At the start of the 47th over, with India needing 33 runs in 24 balls, he went up to the umpire and checked which bowler has how many overs left.
The Indian team was finding it tough to attack Jhye Richardson and Adam Zampa, hence, they played out their overs. Dhoni very intelligently made sure that their overs were finished before he could launch an attack. He calculated the run chase till that point, and decided to score runs of Peter Siddle and Marcus Stoinis, which proved to be a masterclass.
Dhoni was the star of the show in the three matches, as he scored 193 runs, including fifties in each of the fixture, at an average of 193 on his way to a man of the series award. His efforts meant that Virat Kohli and his men created history as they became the first Indian team to record a bilateral ODI series win against Australia in Australia
Following their 2-1 ODI series win, India also became the first ever team to win a bilateral Test, ODI and T20I series against Australia Down Under. Their Test success came earlier in the tour, when they won the four-match series 2-1. As for their T20I success, they achieved it in their 2016 tour, when they won they whitewashed the Aussies in the three-T20I series.
09:23 IST, January 19th 2019