Indian cricket fans should simply enjoy the Mahi show as long as it lasts, because it won't last forever.
Indian cricket fans are a curious lot. They love their cricketing gods, put them on a pedestal and yet can’t wait to bring them down. One cricketer who has come in for undue fire in recent times is Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of India’s greatest captains and the man who has undoubtedly changed the course of the game in India.
Yet, there are fans and critics who are waiting with baited breath to take him down, to pounce upon his failures and announce that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is done and dusted, that he can no longer set the stage alight like he used to. Every single time he proves his detractors wrong, they again fall upon age-old cliches like 'turning back the clock', when in truth MS Dhoni hasn't really become past it as some would suggest.
While it’s true the reflexes have slowed, the spirit is just as willing as ever and MSD is still better than most people who pull on the blue shirt.
Dhoni was again in fine form, against Sri Lanka in the 4th ODI when he scored an unbeaten 49 in his 300th ODI by breaking another record by becoming the batsman with the most number of notouts to his name in ODIs.
En route to his 49, Dhoni hit five boundaries and one huge six to surpass South African all-rounder Shaun Pollock and Sri lanka’s Chaminda Vaas to register his 73rd unbeaten innings. Along with that, Dhoni also added another feather to his cap by holding the record of most unbeaten knocks (40) in ODI run chases ahead of Jonty Rhodes (33), Inzamam-ul-Haq (32) and Ricky Ponting (31).
And if that wasn't all Mahi again showed why the DRS (Dhoni Review System) was still revered as he called out two wides which turned out to be edge to the keeper. Haters can say what they want, Indian cricket will never see his kind again.
Here are 10 records that show just how great a pioneer Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in India cricket:
1) Only captain to win all 3 ICC events (World Cup, Champions Trophy and World T20)
2) Captained 331 matches across formats - most by any player in history
3) Averages a mind-boggling 101.84 in successful rain chases.
4) Has finished an ODI chase with a six nine times.
5) Most runs in ODIS batting at 6 or lower (4601)
6) Only Indian to hit 200 sixes in ODIs
7) His 183* against Sri Lanka is the highest by a wicket-keeper in ODIs
8) Has a record of 40 unbeaten innings in successful run chases in ODIs.
9) Most dismissals by an Indian wicket-keeper across all formats -737
10) Most not outs in ODIs - 73
India reach massive 375//5
Skipper Virat Kohli's power-packed ton complemented by Rohit Sharma's sublime century enabled India to post a record 375 for 5 in the fourth ODI, here today.
India's total was the highest posted by any visiting team in an ODI in Sri Lanka, bettering their own record of 363 for 5 at the same ground in 2009.
Courtesy skipper Kohli's (131 off 96 balls) 29th ODI hundred and his 219-run second-wicket stand with an in-form Sharma (104, 88 balls), India were able to lay the foundation for an imposing total.
Sharma, who hit back-to-back hundreds, now has 13 three- figure scores in the 50-over format.
The Indian batsmen made merry as Manish Pandey utilised his first chance of the series to the fullest with an unbeaten 50 off 42 balls while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni remained undefeated one short of a half-century score in his 300th ODI appearance.
Incidentally, Dhoni got a single off the penultimate delivery of the 50th over as he remained stranded on 49 not out -- one short of what could have been his 100th international half-century.
The Dhoni-Pandey unbroken partnership for the sixth wicket yielded 101 runs in only 12.2 overs.
After winning the toss on a batting belter, skipper Kohli joined Sharma after Shikhar Dhawan (4) was dismissed trying to slash an Angelo Mathews delivery over point.
With the ball coming onto the bat, strokeplay became easy. Sharma initially took time to settle down as Kohli attacked the listless Sri Lankan bowling from the word go.
The first 50 came off 52 balls, but the innings slowly gathered pace as India crossed 100 off just 84 balls.
Kohli raced to his half-century off 38 balls even as their 50 partnership came off 46 balls.
The hectic pace of scoring continued as Kohli and Sharma celebrated their 100 partnership off only 76 balls with the latter also reaching half-century off 45 balls.
Kohli faced 96 balls and hit 17 fours as well as 2 sixes while Sharma's innings had 11 boundaries and three maximums.
En route their partnership, Kohli-Sharma duo broke a number of records.
Their partnership improved on the previous highest 2nd wicket stand on Sri Lankan soil -- 197 runs added by Dhawan and Kohli in the first ODI of this current series in Dambulla.
It was also India's third-highest 2nd wicket partnership against Sri Lanka in ODIs, after 318 at Taunton in May 1999, and 236 at Nagpur in March 1999 -- both set by Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.
This was also their third 200-plus stand as a pair equalling the record held jointly by Sachin Tendulkar and Ganguly, as well as Gautam Gambhir and Kohli.
Sri Lankan bowlers had a nightmarish time with pacers Lasith Malinga (1/82 in 10 overs) and Vishwa Fernando (1/76 in 8 overs) taken to task.
Akila Dananjaya (1/68 in 10 overs) also did not cause any trouble to the batsmen.
With inputs from PTI
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