5 instances when MS Dhoni got stumped in international cricket

With a whopping 165 stumpings across all three formats of the game, MS Dhoni has established himself as the greatest ever wicket-keeper for spinners. However, the Indian batting stalwart has also been on the receiving end of the slightly embarrassing mode of dismissal.

The recently completed 2nd T20I between India and Australia at Guwahati marked the fifth instance of the iconic wicket-keeper batsman getting stumped by his counterpart from the opposition team. It was one of the rare cases of the hunter becoming the hunted.

In reverse chronological order, let us take a closer look at each of the five occasions when Dhoni got stumped in international cricket.

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#5 T20I vs Australia (Guwahati, 2017)

Adam Zampa lured Dhoni out of his crease with a brilliant delivery

After losing the toss on a green-tinged pitch at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, India found themselves in early trouble when the unheralded Jason Behrendorff ripped the top-order apart with a menacing spell.

From 27/4, the hosts rode on a brief partnership between Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav to reach 60 close to the half-way mark of the innings.

However, Adam Zampa dented India's hopes by dismissing the experienced Dhoni. In the tenth over, the right-hander was lured out of his crease by a splendid delivery from the wily leg-spinner. As he was unable to read the trajectory, the veteran batsman did not get anywhere near the ball.

Tim Paine completed a neat stumping to leave the hosts in a bigger mess. Eventually, the Indians were bowled out for a paltry total of 118 and Australia sauntered to a comfortable 8-wicket victory.

#4 ODI vs West Indies (Chennai, 2011 World Cup)

Dhoni was stumped off the bowling of Devendra Bishoo in Chennai

Quite the significant occasion, this was the final group match of the 2011 World Cup. Having already qualified for the knockout stages, India locked horns with two-time champions West Indies at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai with the aim of shoring up their standing.

Riding on Yuvraj Singh's splendid knock, the hosts reached a strong position by the time Dhoni walked into his adopted home.

The Indian captain continued the team's momentum by rotating the strike on a regular basis. When it seemed like he was setting himself up for a massive blitz at the death overs, Dhoni's stay was cut short by Devendra Bishoo. The Caribbean leg-spinner enticed the batsman with a well-flighted delivery before beating him in the air.

Devon Thomas took care of the rest to send the versatile right-hander back to the dressing room. Despite their skipper's untimely dismissal, India amassed a formidable total which eventually proved to be beyond the reach of West Indies.

#3 Test vs South Africa (Kanpur, 2008)

Dhoni's dismissal in the Kanpur Test did not affect India's stellar 8-wicket victory

After being humiliated by a well-oiled South African team during the previous match in Ahmedabad, the Indian players arrived into Kanpur with the prospect of a must-win encounter looming over their heads.

With regular skipper Anil Kumble ruled out of the game, the pressure gravitated towards Dhoni who was making his captaincy debut in Tests.

A combination of incisive seam bowling and attacking spin helped India bowl out South Africa for just 265 in the first innings.

However, the hosts' intention of taking a strong lead was hit hard as Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn reduced them to 188/5. Coming out with a clear plan, Dhoni counter-attacked the Proteas and stitched together a crucial partnership with former captain Sourav Ganguly.

Extra Cover: 5 best stumpings of MS Dhoni

When he was batting on 32, the wicket-keeper batsman had an uncharacteristic rush of blood and danced down the track. But Paul Harris was up to it. A quicker and flatter delivery scooted off the pitch to leave Dhoni stranded.

Mark Boucher showed the value of experience by effecting a stunning stumping. Following the stand-in skipper's dismissal, India eked out a handy 60-run lead and subsequently cruised to a 8-wicket victory to square the series.

#2 Test vs Bangladesh (Dhaka, 2010)

Mushfiqur Rahim whips the bails off to catch Dhoni short of his crease in Dhaka

Upon missing the first Test of the 2010 tour of Bangladesh, Dhoni returned to take up captaincy duty for the second match at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. Despite losing the toss on a flat surface, India routed the hosts for 233 as Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma ran rampant.

With half-centuries from both openers as well as a century each from Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, they were already in a dominant position when Dhoni walked into bat.

The wicket-keeper batsman treated the Bangladeshi bowlers with utter disdain. Boundaries continued to flow from the broad blade of the Indian skipper. When a century appeared inevitable, Dhoni was done in by a smart piece of bowling from part-timer Raqibul Hasan.

The leg-spinner tossed the ball bravely and coerced the batsman into stretching forward. But the delivery turned past the bat. Mushfiqur Rahim whipped the bails off in an instant to deny his century by a mere 11 runs. While India motored to a ten-wicket win to seal a 2-0 series triumph, Dhoni remained Raqibul's only international scalp.

#1 Test vs Pakistan (2006, Faisalabad)

Dhoni smashed a 153-ball 148 before being stumped off the bowling of Danish Kaneria

In sharp contrast to the present times, India and Pakistan regularly played against each other in home and away bilateral Test series during the early to mid 2000s. One such series came in 2006 when Rahul Dravid's troops took a trip across the border. Before the tour began, there was plenty of hype from the Pakistanis about preparing seam-friendly pitches to aid the likes of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif.

However, the home team's caution did not come to fruition as the ground staff at the Gaddafi Stadium rolled out an extremely flat surface.

With the opening Test drawn, the focus shifted to Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad for the penultimate match. After winning the toss, Pakistan amassed a massive total in the first-innings. Despite a delectable partnership between skipper Dravid and VVS Laxman, India ran into a bit of strife as a slew of wickets left them at a precarious position.

In tandem with Irfan Pathan, Dhoni breathed new life into the innings by launching a blistering counter-attack. Having brought up his maiden Test century, the flamboyant wicket-keeper batsman did not show any signs of stopping.

When he was two runs short of the 150-mark, the then 24-year old charged down the track in order to deposit Danish Kaneria into the stands. But the leg-spinner got one to turn prodigiously and outwitted the dangerous right-hander. Kamran Akmal did not make any mistake behind the stumps. In spite of his dismissal, Dhoni had done enough to ensure that the match petered out to a draw.