Mahendra Singh Dhoni, over his career span, has positioned himself in a way, which oppositions don’t cherish, especially when India is batting second in ODIs. Not only has he been synonymous to fear for his counterparts, but he also brings a sense of calmness with his composed head.
Even when a team is faced with a massive required rate in the dying stages of a game and M.S Dhoni is at the crease, rivals become wary of the Jharkhand batsman’s presence. Clint McKay got a hands-on experience when, in 2012, he was carted over the ropes with absolute disdain by MSD.
India required 13 runs from the last over and MS Dhoni’s monstrous blow sealed it for India as they registered a victory by four wickets. We take you down memory lane as we compiled some intriguing moments from the game.
Ricky Ponting’s walks off one final time in an ODI at Adelaide
The ODI versus India was Ponting’s third-last venture and his last game at Adelaide in the 50-over format. He was having a torrid time in the 2012 Commonwealth Bank series against the two sub-continent powerhouses in India and Sri Lanka.
Unable to reach double figures in the earlier games, Ponting was under the pump to strike form, but that wasn’t the case. Yet another time, he perished cheaply and this time it was Vinay Kumar to whom he fell prey.
In the quest of keeping the scoreboard ticking, he went for an uppish drive and in the process, mistimed it straight into the safe hands of Virat Kohli, patrolling the point region. While India struck first blood, Ponting’s disappointing run in the series continued.
A piece of brilliance from Rohit Sharma
Often it happens that a moment of brilliance charges up the players and changes the whole complexion of the game. Fielding holds prime importance and exuberant display of agility in the outfield is required to put a lid on the scoring and keep batsmen on their toes.
David Warner tasted the bitter part of Rohit Sharma’s stupendous fielding as he was stranded mid-pitch to get run out. Warner spanked the ball, but Rohit’s full-length dive prevented a sure-shot boundary, saving precious runs for India.
To add insult to injury, Warner had an awful miscommunication with his skipper Michael Clarke, resulting in the former’s dismissal. It all happened after the man from New South Wales looked to take the Indian bowling by the scruff of the neck.
Forrest’s half-century on debut
Making a mark in the domestic circuit is one thing, but replicating the performances in international games needs a different class. Jangling nerves can easily overshadow the skills in a player’s debut match, but Peter Forrest had other ideas.
Australia had lost Ponting and Warner and was in a spot of bother when Forrest took the field. From the word go, he displayed an unflappable temperament along with sound technique with the willow. He wasn’t severe in his stroke-making, but hardly put a foot wrong in his knock of 66 from 83 balls.
With five boundaries and two sixes, he laid the launchpad for the Australian innings to take off in the death overs of the game.
Solid partnerships setting the platform
For a healthy total in ODIs, partnerships are the building blocks and Australia had quite a few of them in their innings. Within the initial 20 overs, India had already got Australia on the mat with the top three back to the hut.
With the score at 81/3, Forrest and David Hussey took charge and strung together a stand of 98 in 17.4 overs. It required a stunner in the outfield by Vinay Kumar to get rid of the stand. David Hussey carried on, now with Daniel Christian, to register another 50 run stand for the Kangaroos.
Helped by a cameo from Matthew Wade, Australia, eventually, set India a target of 270 in their allotted quota of 50 overs.
Gambhir- The big fish
During the chase, Gautam Gambhir was effortlessly India’s mainstay at the crease while others played around him. A free-flowing knock wasn’t on show, but the runs flowed consistently from Gambhir’s willow that kept the Aussies at bay for a chunk of the innings.
He perished after scoring 92 runs that included a mere seven boundaries and never allowed a lean patch during the chase. Australian bowlers didn’t make it any easier for the opener as Gambhir took 47 singles in his innings.
Clint McKay trapped him in front of the wickets, but the innings was solid enough to leave India with a realistic opportunity of pulling off a win.
Clint McKay- Australia’s pick of the bowlers
The Adelaide Oval served with very little help for the bowlers and wickets were hard to come by on a batting belter. Nonetheless, Clint McKay perpetrated some body blows for the Indians by picking up wickets at regular intervals.
Albeit he went for a few runs, McKay had an impact on the match as he churned out three crucial scalps. He pinned down Virender Sehwag through a leading edge into the hands of the point fielder and then Virat Kohli became his victim just when he was looking to take charge of the chase.
His biggest scalp came in the form of Gautam Gambhir as it set the alarm ringing in the Indian camp.
MS Dhoni’s self-belief
Over the years, the hallmark of Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been his tranquil temperament to counter challenges. He hardly doubts his ability to get his team over the line and during the closing stages of the chase, he displays his mettle as a finisher more often than not.
Not for once did he panic, play a false stroke and succumb to the pressure of a run chase. Quite astonishingly, his knock of 44 runs had only a solitary six and no boundaries. He took the chase deep down the innings and pulled out the humungous six that got India home with two balls to spare.
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