The method behind Dhoni's madness

MS Dhoni: The greatest finisher in the history of the game?

“I think I am blessed with a bit of good cricketing sense.” Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni couldn’t have been more spot-on in his self-assessment.

On a treacherous pitch that had a mind of its own, where a batsman can never claim to be settled, getting 15 runs off the last over was always a huge ask. There was also a torn hamstring and a number 11 at the other end, hell-bent on getting himself run out, to be dealt with. There was pressure all right. Pressure that can make a man do funny things.

But then these are circumstances that Dhoni thrives in. It is on the back of his efforts in these sort of tight finishes that the legend of Dhoni has grown.

The Sri Lankan cause wasn’t helped by the fact that the bowler was the inexperienced Shaminda Eranga, who had just a few international games under his belt. He had dismissed Dhawan and Kohli in his earlier spell; but in crunch junctures it often comes down to how one handles one’s nerves.

After missing out on the first delivery, Dhoni got three successive ones in his radar, and that was all he needed. A towering blow over the bowler’s head, a slash towards the point boundary and a flat six over long on, all done in a matter-of-fact manner. Game over. What’s all the fuss about?

Eranga’s choice of bowling length was questionable; but at the start of the over, due the sheer reputation of Dhoni, it seemed as if India had a head start of 5 runs.

On the face of it, his methods are all brawn. The ability to hit those big shots surely helps, but what stands out is how he instinctively knows when to go for those big hits. Behind the scenes, there is always a cool calculating brain that tries to work out a way forward. A logic that, at times, even seems ridiculous to many.

There is also a tremendous amount of self-belief and confidence in his rather unorthodox technique that has become almost synonymous with Dhoni. His bottom-hand play doesn’t inspire as much awe as languid drives from Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma do, but this style has proved to be mighty effective.

With all the recognized batsmen back in the pavilion, and the target still 50 runs away, it was clear that Dhoni had to score most of it. He had to find a way to take the match into a situation where the tail-enders would be out of the equation, and it would be him against the bowler. He also had to make sure that India didn’t get bowled out.

The big shots were shelved, and out came the dabs and pushes. Runs were scored in trickles. The dots balls started to make their presence felt and the difference between balls remaining and runs to win fast increased, but Dhoni never got flustered.

The pressure told on the lesser batsmen and there was panic all around. Vinay Kumar threw his wicket away with an ill-advised slog and Ishant Sharma looked like a deer caught in the headlight. There were a few admonishes for Sharma; but even as the required rate rapidly increased, the Indian skipper kept his calm; it was as if he had foreseen the events about to occur.

When Lasith Malinga was brought on for his last over, India still needed 19 off three overs. Even though the slinger had gone for a few, Dhoni had marked him as a threat. There were no undue attempts to keep up with the asking rate. Ishant’s job in the next over against Mathews was to see him off.

15 might have looked a long way away then, but in Dhoni’s mind the target was just three good hits away. The passage of play had reached his comfort zone. He kept raising the stakes and bade his time, waiting for the opportune moment to collar his man.

After yet another Houdini act, Dhoni has reaffirmed his status as a top-notch finisher. He is up there with the likes of Bevan and Miandad – may be even better than them. Those huge arms and strong wrists surely comes in handy; but its his cricketing nous that, more often than not, keeps him in good stead in the time of need.