After being picked as India's first-choice gloveman, MS Dhoni is back in action preparing for the three-match ODI series against Australia.
After being picked as India's first-choice gloveman, MS Dhoni is back in action preparing for the three-match ODI series against Australia.
However, the Australian team has lauded the former India captain, who might be playing down under for the last time.
Australia Test skipper and fellow wicketkeeper Tim Paine told cricket.com.au, "I think he is one of the best wicketkeeper-batsmen to ever play the game. He is right up there, no doubt about that, particularly in white-ball cricket. Hopefully, he doesn't get too many runs but it's certainly going to be nice to have him here for a little bit. I'm happy I won't be out there against him”.
"What I do love about watching him play, whether he is batting or keeping and captaining, he keeps things very simple. That's just from what I can see. Cricket is very complicated game and I've enjoyed watching him really simplify it still in this modern age. He just looks like he does the basics pretty well, stays real relaxed and – at his age from the pressure he would be under in India and around the world – he looks like he just loves playing cricket," Paine added.
Pat Cummins also had only good words about the former skipper. "I think my main memory of Dhoni is just his persona on the field. You've seen him winning IPL tournaments, World Cups, Test matches, incredible victories, and he just picks up the stump and walks off (like) nothing happened. Winning games from impossible positions and he just seems like the most level, calm captain when he's captaining, just play, nothing seems too big a deal, and just can pull things out of his hat like no one else. He's a great ambassador for cricket, being an idol to a billion Indian people back home and he's hugely respected around the world."
Usman Khawaja who will be donning the Australian ODI jersey after some time also spoke about Mahi.
"He's obviously a legend of a cricketer but he's such a good bloke and so relaxed. I love playing cricket with him and on the same team because I think we're quite similar in the way we play. He concentrates on the controllable, doesn't worry about the rest, doesn't let a lot faze him, understands there's a lot of up and downs in cricket and I think he's experienced that throughout his career and the way he plays and the way he goes about it. He's one of the guys I really enjoy playing with and he's such a good bloke, so yeah there'll be a big crowd to see him probably one last time in Australia," said Khawaja.
Australian ODI captain Aaron Finch also paid tributes to Dhoni saying, "I think the way that he's led India under the most extreme cricket scrutiny for a long time has been unbelievable. I think that he's obviously one of the all-time greats of the game. It will be a sad day if he doesn't come back to Australia after this tour, he's a brilliant entertainer and someone that people pay money to come through the gates to watch."
As a skipper, Dhoni had guided India to the No.1 Test ranking in 2009. The 2011 ICC World Cup and the 2007 World T20 title were also under this skipper’s guidance.
Dhoni also won the tri-series involving India, Australia, and Sri Lanka in 2007-08 down under.
The 37-year-old has 16 international centuries and has more than 800 dismissals behind the stumps registered to his name.
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 "Mahendra Singh Dhoni attends a training session at the Sydney Cricket Ground")
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