DHONI’S POSITIVE INTENT DENTS THE AUSTRALIANS

Everyone watching on TV and at the ground will remember the sixes MS Dhoni thumped off the Australians bowling line up today but it is the very first ball he faced that set the tone for his innings. 

India had just lost Sachin Tendulkar bowled through the gate to an off spinner that pitched in the rough and spun back in sharply.  First ball Dhoni faced also pitched in the foot marks outside off stump but instead of playing a defensive stroke, Dhoni shifted his left leg to the pitch of the ball and attempted an over ambitious sweep shot.  It didn’t come off and ball rebounded off his pads on to off side.  At that stage it was probably a careless attempt but it definitely had positive intent.

It conveyed a message to the Aussies that he was willing to attack at any cost. Surprisingly, Clarke had the mid-on back on the boundary and the field was spread out.  From Dhoni’s point of view he saw it as the 25^th over of an ODI. Once his mind had gone into the ODI mode especially in the Indian conditions the opposition was in trouble.

Matthew Wade later admitted it was so difficult to bowl at Dhoni because the shots he can execute on the low bounce pitches.

“I think it was just a great innings, some of the shots he plays are incredible. I guess the wicket out here suit his game.  When he plays some of those shots  and when they come off its hard to contain him”

The shots Wade was referring to are the wristy punches off the back foot that fly past the diving cover fieldsman or the stand and deliver to a good length ball. The shots can be executed lot easier on low bouncing wickets as the chance of ball bouncing to catch the edge are quite slim. As Dhoni has find out in the past, similar shots in Australia, England and South Africa end up in the slips cordon.

Along with his fast hands the Indian skipper has terrific reflexes.  Put two of them together and suddenly reverse swing can become your worst enemy.  Even a genuine edge can be transformed into a well-educated guide past the point fielder suddenly bowling to Dhoni can be extremely difficult.

But this is India and if the Australians cannot find another definite plan, Dhoni will continue to plunder their spinners and accumulate runs against the pacers.  

Dhoni has shown his intent with the bat, if he can do the same with his captaincy it could be an early finish to a test match that seemed in the balance up until the last hour of Day 3.