World Cup 2019: Sourav Ganguly criticized the lack of intent shown by Dhoni and Jadhav against England

What’s the story?

Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly criticized Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav’s slow partnership against England on Sunday (June 30) at Edgbaston, Birmingham. The duo resorted to taking singles despite the required run rate being over 10 runs per over. This tactic, especially coming from a veteran like Dhoni, bewildered many fans and pundits alike.

In case you didn’t know

Former Indian skipper, MS Dhoni’s strike rate has often been under scrutiny in this World Cup. Before the England game, his strike rate was under 90. When India needed him to go berserk, he chose to play a steady knock, which left many fans dumbfounded.

The heart of the matter

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma laid down a solid partnership for the rest of the batsmen to thrive upon. At one stage, the target looked very achievable when India needed to score 10 runs per over. But Dhoni and Jadhav’s slow knocks took the game away from the men in ‘orange’.

Dhoni took time to settle down, which increased the pressure on Hardik Pandya’s shoulders. Once Pandya was out, fans expected Dhoni to put his foot on the accelerator. Instead, the veteran shifted to an even lower gear.

In 31 balls, MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav amassed only 39 runs. This has left many fans and pundits bemused, including former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly. On being quizzed by Nasser Hussain on Dhoni’s incomprehensible tactics, Ganguly said “I don't have an explanation for that. You asked me the question but I can't explain these singles.”

“You can't be chasing 338 and still have 5 wickets in the end. It's about mindset and the way you look at the game. The message had to be clear: no matter where it comes and no matter where the ball lands you have to find the boundary. A dot ball at this stage,” the World Cup runner-up further added".

Like many fans, the man from Kolkata said that he would have been happier if India were 300 all-out, in a bid to play some big shots. “I would have been happier if India were 300 all-out. This situation can happen again and they will have to find different ways to succeed in the first and last 10 overs,” he opined.

What’s next?

Virat Kohli recently hit back Dhoni’s critics and also praised the game-reading abilities of the experienced campaigner. Also, India has lost only one game. Hence, dropping MS Dhoni is looking like a far-fetched idea. Having said that, all eyes will be on the 37-year-old when India take on Bangladesh on 2nd July.

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