Dhoni playing mind games: Shane Warne

Shane Warne and his googlies are as inseparable as whiskey and ice. The ‘Sheikh of Tweak’ added more twist to MS Dhoni’s categorical demand for rank turners.

On Thursday, ESPN-Star Sports included the Aussie great on its commentary panel for the second Test starting on Friday. Warne, dressed in a pink (of all colours!) sweater promised to make your viewing experience even more special. What’s more, he will be back for the India-Australia series too in the New Year.

Back to his googly and Warne first said he wouldn’t approve of captains asking for specific pitches. “I don’t think the captain should be asking. It should be up to the groundsman. The groundsman will take pride in producing the best Test wicket. In Australia, captains never approach curators,” Warne said, in reference to a query on Dhoni. “There is a contest between bat and ball. I don’t think anyone is interested in flat wickets with 700 runs. It’s boring. But in India you have to expect turning wickets.”

A little later, ‘Warney’ did a U-turn. In response to a question on similar lines, he said, “You know it’s red soil. You know it is going to spin. I think Dhoni is playing a few mind games with the England batsmen. I am sure he hasn’t even spoken (to the curator). He is just trying to put some doubts in the English batsmen’s mind that they are going to get huge turning wickets. But I am sure the pitch will be just the same. It is just mind games.”

Let’s wait for the pitch report.