Australia vs India 2018/19: Happy To Bat At Any Number: MS Dhoni

If 2018 was a bad year for MS Dhoni then 2019 is turning out to be exactly the opposite of it. Dhoni had faced criticism from all around for his displays last year against England, in Asia Cup and against Windies at home. However, the 37-year old once again proved that form is temporary while class is permanent.

Dhoni started 2019 on a bitter-sweet note, scoring a fifty in the first ODI against Australia. However, he faced criticism for consuming as many as 96 deliveries as India lost the game by 34 runs. But in just the following game, he made a big mark with both wicketkeeping gloves as well as the bat.

India win the match and the series! Dhoni has done it again to guide them home unbeaten on 87* with four balls to spare: https://t.co/6xmi9N8VsW #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/44dGhxldTL

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 18, 2019

He scored an unbeaten fifty and shared fifty-plus stands with Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik to take India home and level the series. And on Friday, he once again starred with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 87 as India beat Australia by 7 wickets to win the three-match series 2-1. It is India’s first bilateral ODI series win Down Under.

Promoted at number four, Dhoni came to the crease when India were struggling at 59 for 2 in the 17th over. India then found themselves in further trouble after being reduced to 113 for 3 when Jhye Richardson dismissed Virat Kohli. With in-form Kohli gone and just 113 runs on the board, India were staring down the barrel. However, Dhoni once again showed his class, mastering another chase to fire India to a monumental win. He and Kedar Jadhav, who scored 61, shared an unbeaten 121-run stand to take India home.

Dhoni deservedly won the Man of the Series for scoring 193 runs at an average of 193 in the series. He finished the series as India’s highest run-scorer. Speaking after the game, the calm and composed Dhoni opened up on his knock and his plan. He also made it clear that he is ready to bat wherever the team wants him to,

“It was a slow wicket, so it was difficult to hit whenever you wanted to. No point going after the bowlers who were bowling well, so we wanted to take it deep and that was the plan. Kedar did a great job in executing. I am happy to bat at any number. The important thing is where the team needs me. I can’t say I can’t bat at No. 6 after playing 14 years,” he said at the presentation ceremony.