5 instances when MS Dhoni failed to finish off chases in T20Is

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a household name when it comes to having nerves of steel under pressure and hence finishing matches. MS Dhoni carries an astonishing average of 50.5 in run chases in T20I games at a decent strike rate of 128. Although these stats look impressive from outside, the fact that he has scored only 607 runs in 31 games means that he comes very late to bat with only around 6-4 overs left in the innings.

Dhoni's career strike rate of 127.09 is below par when compared to other finishers like Buttler (137), Russell (160) and Maxwell (158).

Due to his low strike rate, Dhoni has often made run chases tougher for himself by taking the game too deep and leaving a lot for the last two overs and thus has failed to finish a lot of them.

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1) India v England at Lord's on June 14th, 2009 (Lost by three runs)

In a Super Eight clash of the 2009 T20WC, India was chasing a modest target of 154 against England. When Dhoni came out to bat, it had already become an uphill task with India needing 69 from 39 balls at a required rate of 10.4. Dhoni scored 23 from the 17 deliveries he faced and added 48 in 5 overs with Yusuf Pathan. Due to Dhoni's relatively slow innings, India needed 19 off the last over.

Pathan was on strike for the first ball of the final over which was going to be bowled by Sidebottom. Pathan took a single and now, India needed 18 from 5 with the captain on strike. Dhoni unable to find a boundary took a double followed by a single.

Now with 15 required from 3, Pathan smacked the next ball for a six and followed it with a single. With eight needed off the concluding delivery, Dhoni, finally found a boundary through long on but it was too late.

2) India v New Zealand at Chennai on September 11th, 2012 (India lost by one run)

Dhoni came at the crease when India needed a mere 48 of 40 balls and with Yuvraj Singh, at the other end it should have been an easy chase but, it wasn't. Dhoni had managed only 17 runs from 21 balls by the end of 19th over and Yuvraj was going at nothing better than run a ball. As a result, India needed 13 of the last over.

Off the first ball of the final over, Yuvraj took a leg bye followed by a four from Dhoni. Now India required eight from four. The following delivery went for a wide. Dhoni picked up a single off the third ball after which Yuvraj got cleaned up by Franklin off the fourth ball.

Rohit Sharma, who was the new batsman at the crease, failed to connect correctly and could manage only two doubles of the final two deliveries. Hence, India lost the match by one run.

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3) India v England at Birmingham on September 7th, 2014(India lost by three runs)

Chasing a target of 181, India was in a good position needing 50 runs off 34 balls. Dhoni scored only 14 runs off 12 by the end of the 19th over and took the match into the last over with India needing 17 from it with Chris Woakes bowling it.

Off the very first ball of the over Dhoni found the middle and hit the ball for a six bringing down the equation to 10 from 5. Dhoni took a double of the second ball, followed by refusing a single to Rayudu on the third and a boundary on the fourth.

Now, India needed five runs from two balls. On the fifth ball, Dhoni again refused a single to Rayudu and could only manage a single off the final delivery. India lost the match by three runs.

4) India v Zimbabwe at Harare on June 18th, 2016 (India lost by two runs)

Dhoni had again taken the match into the last over as he scored only 16 from 14 balls by the end of the 19th over. India needed eight from the final over.

In the final over, Dhoni took a single on the first ball and handed Axar Patel the strike (18 from 8 before this ball), who got run out on the very next delivery. Dhoni again took a single off the third delivery. Rishi Dhawan was the new batsman he tried to scoop the fourth ball and just managed a single from the fifth.

Now it was all down to Dhoni as India needed four runs from 1 ball. Dhoni failed to connect properly to a good delivery outside off stump bowled by Madziva and could only manage a single. Hence, India lost the match by two runs.

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5) India v West Indies at Lauderhill on August 27th, 2016(India lost by one run)

In the first T20I of the two, India were chasing a massive target of 245. On the back of Rohit's 62, KL Rahul's century and a superb penultimate over of 16 runs had brought down the equation to 8 from 6 balls.

Dhoni was given a life when he was dropped by Samuels on the very first delivery of the over. It was still India's game but, three consecutive singles of the next three balls and a double of the fifth ball took the match to the final delivery with India needing two runs.

Off the final delivery, Dhoni decided to take the safe route and take a single but, failed to time the shot correctly and got caught by Samuels at the short third man.