Mumbai, July 06: “In the end, it’s all about scoring one run more than the opposition,” MS Dhoni once said when quizzed about India’s tendency to scamper to victory when they should be looking to thump the opponents by a big margin. A past master at ‘keeping it simple’, Dhoni’s unusual methods are informed by the most basic of philosophies.
One of the trickiest situations in limited-over matches is chasing down steep targets. Of the 206 ODIs that Dhoni has played since his debut in 2004, India have not lost a match chasing when he has remained unbeaten. While Dhoni has steered the team home on 31 occasions, his 58* against Sri Lanka in the 2012 CB Series fetched a tie. Out of his 23 50-plus scores batting second, 16, including two centuries, have come in match-winning causes.
When it comes to batsmen with the best averages in successful run-chases in ODIs, the Indian captain is second to none.
Highest career average in successful chases in ODIs
(Min. qualification: 25 appearances in winning cause)
|
Batsman |
Inns |
Runs |
HS |
Avg |
100s |
50s |
SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
MS Dhoni (Ind) |
50 |
1997 |
183* |
105.10 |
2 |
14 |
90.32 |
|
MJ Clarke (Aus) |
44 |
1784 |
105* |
89.20 |
3 |
15 |
76.20 |
|
Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak) |
26 |
961 |
93* |
87.36 |
0 |
8 |
71.71 |
|
MG Bevan (Aus) |
45 |
1725 |
107 |
86.25 |
3 |
12 |
66.42 |
|
MEK Hussey (Aus) |
25 |
671 |
75* |
83.87 |
0 |
3 |
73.81 |
|
V Kohli (India) |
32 |
1825 |
183 |
73.00 |
7 |
9 |
91.80 |
|
SR Watson (Aus) |
34 |
1759 |
185* |
70.36 |
5 |
9 |
94.41 |
|
WJ Cronje (SA) |
43 |
1682 |
94 |
70.08 |
0 |
15 |
80.36 |
|
MD Crowe (NZ) |
32 |
1470 |
107* |
70.00 |
2 |
12 |
78.10 |
While the numbers clearly suggest Dhoni is an excellent finisher, they do not reveal how his run chases are contructed.
To give an insight into Dhoni’s performance as a finisher, and find out what makes him special in the limited overs set-up, bcci.tv spoke to two men who excelled in the same role during their playing days: Michael Bevan, the sturdy Australian whose ability to complete tricky chases gave rise to the very concept of a finisher, and Lance Klusener, the feisty South African all-rounder whose late charge with the bat saw his team win many a thriller.
Finishing school
What are the qualities that a good finisher should posses and where does Dhoni stand on that front? Bevan and Klusener feel a calm and sharp mind, and the gumption to implement those plans, are key. Dhoni checks all boxes, they concur.
Bevan: A good finisher needs to be able to control the tempo of the game when chasing a total. He needs to understand when to attack, which bowlers to take risks off and when to play it safe. Flexibility and strategy are two keywords here. You’ve got to believe you can do it and have as many scoring options as possible. Dhoni is one of the best around.
Klusener: Calmness, knowing exactly what you need to do and the ability to do the job are the essential traits a finisher must have. Dhoni is as good as they get in that regards. He’s got the ability to bat long and ensure that he’s there till the end. And the record suggests that every time that has happened, India have won.
Dhoni – batting first / second in ODIs
|
Inns |
Runs |
Hs |
Avg |
100s |
50s |
SR |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Batting first |
94 |
3764 |
148 |
51.56 |
5 |
24 |
93.35 |
|
Batting second |
90 |
3009 |
183* |
51.87 |
2 |
21 |
82.48 |
Sting in the tail
For someone who comes in to bat after the best batsmen are back in the hut, a finisher is faced with a double-edged sword. Not only does he need to anchor the chase, he needs to do it in the company of the lower-order batsmen. Bevan, the master finisher, feels Dhoni’s natural ability to instil confidence in his teammates comes in handy here.
Bevan: The key is to try and make it simple for the tailenders and help understand what their approach should be. It is also important to know the personality type of your partner so that you can help him feel more comfortable in those pressure overs. I think one of Dhoni’s strengths is that he gets the best out of the players within his team.
Klusener: Nine out of 10 times, the responsibility will be yours to finish the game but the tail needs to have some kind of batting ability. You have to guard them through and build a partnership. You also need to have good communication with Nos. 9, 10 and 11 about how you want to go about the chase, what bowlers you are going to face. Also, if you’re batting with the tail, you’d use any technique to hit the ball beyond the ropes.
The evolution
Dhoni emerged on the international scene as a compulsive ball-smasher with raw power and a carefree approach at the crease. Time and the responsibility of leadership have turned him into a shrewd senior batsman who doesn’t shy away from playing a grafter, if need be. Our experts feel this change in approach has only made Dhoni more effective.
Bevan: His natural instincts are to attack and one of his great strengths is that he can curb that aggression when the situation warrants it. Having said that, even when he first started playing ODI cricket he was a natural in the finishing role and it looked like it was easy for him.
Klusener: Experience has played a key role in the transformation. Along with the destructive batting style he has also developed the ability to bat for longer periods and see the innings through. That makes him very skilful and all the more dangerous.
Touch-and-go
Although Dhoni has scripted some breathtaking finishes in one-day cricket, there has been some criticism about his tendency to drag the game to its absolute limit before unleashing the big shots. Bevan and Klusener both defend Dhoni’s approach.
Bevan: As a No. 5 or 6 batsman, you have no other choice but to minimise the risk. If you get out the team will most likely lose. It makes sense to build the tempo – take singles and play risk-free cricket. As a finisher you need to be able to maintain a strong bias towards batting until the end of the innings, even if sometimes you put yourself in a compromising position by potentially losing the game.
Klusener: It’s very tough to just walk in and start hitting the ball right away. Dhoni appreciates the fact that he needs to get set before going ahead with his shots.
Finisher vs. Finisher
While Klusener has no doubt the Indian skipper is way better than him when it comes to finishing games, he feels the bat speed that Dhoni generates is similar to his own. Bevan, too, believes Dhoni is more attacking in his approach than he was.
Bevan: I think Dhoni is more destructive. However, he often starts very similarly in terms of building an innings. While I looked to rotate the strike against the pacers at the start of the innings, Dhoni looks to hit them – not in the air but hard along the ground. He milks the spinners for singles and couples when he comes in.
Klusener: He’s a lot better than I ever was. I think what is good about both of us is that we give ourselves an opportunity to get in and then bat through. The bat speed he generates is similar to mine. Plus, like any other Indian player, he has got good wrists.
The helicopter shot
A mighty whirl of the wrist that sends the full deliveries scorching to the boundary. Would the star finishers before him have fancied Dhoni’s signature shot?
Bevan: Yes, I would, but there is no chance I could have generated the same power that Dhoni does with that shot. It is a unique shot played off the backfoot with such bat speed and balance that there are not many who can play it.
Klusener: It wasn’t in my repertoire of shots. It is something you can’t practice at the highest level. I’m sure Dhoni must have started to play that shot as a child.
Up or down?
MS Dhoni’s batting position is a moot point for cricket experts and fans alike. Is Dhoni too good a batsman to be wasted down the order? While numbers suggest he has been most successful batting at No. 3, Bevan and Klusener offer a different perspective.
Dhoni at each position in ODIs
|
No. |
Inns |
Runs |
Hs |
Avg |
100s |
50s |
SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 or 2 |
2 |
98 |
96 |
49.00 |
0 |
1 |
86.72 |
|
3 |
16 |
993 |
183* |
82.75 |
2 |
6 |
99.69 |
|
4 |
17 |
879 |
109* |
73.25 |
1 |
9 |
105.77 |
|
5 |
46 |
1873 |
124 |
55.08 |
3 |
9 |
85.33 |
|
6 |
74 |
2238 |
88* |
43.03 |
0 |
16 |
80.76 |
|
7 |
26 |
641 |
139* |
40.06 |
1 |
4 |
92.63 |
|
8 |
3 |
51 |
20 |
17.00 |
0 |
0 |
62.19 |
|
TOTAL |
184 |
6773 |
183* |
51.70 |
7 |
45 |
88.19 |
Bevan: It doesn’t really worry me where he bats. I have seen Dhoni promote himself up the order on occasions where he thinks it might be beneficial for the team. You have to remember the Indian team are World Cup-holders so they are doing something right. I am a big fan of Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina batting at No. 4 and 5 respectively.
Klusener: He’s good enough to bat anywhere. I think India has got such good batters at the top of the order that they can afford to drop him down and give him the role of rallying the lower order and finish games off for them. I don’t think there’s a need for him to get in too early. Quite often you’ll have fast bowlers bowling with the new ball and he could get out up-front. India has got batsmen to deal with the new ball.
