5 Matches where MS Dhoni prevailed as the perfect finisher in ODIs

Former India captain MS Dhoni in the recent ODI series against Australia showed that he is far from being a spent force and could still chip in with the bat to guide results in favour of the team. The 37-year-old ace wicketkeeper-batsman, likely to be in his final year of international cricket, hit three consecutive half-centuries against the Aussies in the three-game series, helping India win two matches to bag a historic victory.

Dhoni, who made his limited-overs debut in 2004, has been the country’s most experienced warhorse and led it to two World Cup titles in 2007 (T20Is) and 2011 (50 overs). The cricketer has been an asset for successive Indian sides in terms of batting, keeping as well as leadership/mentoring skills. Indian bowlers today gain from precious tips that the former India captain gives them while tackling opponent batsmen while the captain, Virat Kohli, banks heavily on him for insights from behind the stumps.

One of Dhoni’s best-known skills has been finishing off games. He is one batsman who cares little about concluding games with sixers and he did the same in the recent ODI in Adelaide when India needed seven off six balls. Here we take a look at five of the ace cricketer’s top finishes in his illustrious career:

5. 91* vs Bangladesh – 1st ODI, 2007:

The ignominy of a premature exit from the 50-overs World Cup earlier that year was one of the lowest points in Indian cricket and it was hastened by a shocking defeat to Bangladesh in the Caribbeans. India went to the neighbouring country a few months after the World Cup debacle for a bilateral series.

They were set a target of 251 in 47 overs in the first match played in Dhaka. Dhoni himself was a part of that debacle and even had his under-construction house in Ranchi coming under the fans’ fury. India were reduced to 144 for five and Dhoni, who came in at No.3 in the game, was left with the lower order to set things straight.

He was also battling cramps having kept wickets for full 47 overs but never let the opportunity to avenge the WC loss out of his hand. The batsman hit seven fours in his innings that took 106 balls and he won the game with Dinesh Karthik (58 not out) at the other end with one over to spare.

4. 45* vs Sri Lanka – Final of West Indies Tri-Nation series, 2013:

India required just 202 runs to win the final played at the Queens Park Oval against Sri Lanka but the tough wicket made it look much difficult. The Men in Blue were still on course until the 32nd over when they were 139 for three but once opener Rohit Sharma fell for 58, the floodgates were open.

Captain Dhoni, who effected three stumpings in that game, walked in but saw wickets tumbling all around him. Rangana Herath was spinning a web around the Indians and took 4 wickets for just 20 runs. Captain cool nevertheless held his nerve as India lost six wickets for 43 runs, still needing 20 runs to win.

With the last man Ishant Sharma accompanying him Dhoni was faced with a task of scoring 15 runs in the final over. Young pacer Shaminda Eranga was bowling the over and Dhoni first up hit him for a straight six over the long-off. The next ball was hit for a four and then again came a six over the long-off. The master finished off yet another game in style.

“I think I am blessed with a bit of good cricketing sense,” he said at the post-match ceremony. His 45 not out came in 58 balls and included five fours and two sixes.

3. 44* vs Australia – CB Series, 2012:

This was another occasion when Dhoni, India’s captain then, made his mettle evident in pressure situations. India were chasing 270 to win and had a good start till their score read 178 for 4 in the 35th over with Gautam Gambhir falling for 92. In came Dhoni and with Suresh Raina (38), he added crucial 61 runs for the fifth wicket.

The wicketkeeper-batsman actually had a poor start to his innings and struggled to score. The asking rate was mounting even though there was a partnership and India lost two quick wickets in the form of Raina and Ravindra Jadeja. Thirteen runs were needed in the last over and after Ravichandran Ashwin took a run on the second, it all came down to 12 runs off four balls.

Dhoni smashed the third ball for a four and then picked the rest of the runs with two balls to go, with a no-ball aiding his cause. He remained not out on 44 off 58 balls with the help of one six.

2. 87* vs Australia – 3rd ODI, 2019:

This will be right in the second spot for two reasons. One, this innings of Dhoni that came in 114 deliveries (6 fours) helped India win their first-ever bilateral ODI series against Australia in their den and secondly, it came at a time when many had started writing the cricketer off.

MSD defied the challenge and rose to the occasion like a phoenix, batting for 33 overs after keeping for almost 49 overs and eventually giving India a historic win. Dhoni batted at No.4 in this game, a position in which he could be seen often in the next World Cup in England.

This fifty is also Dhoni’s 70th in ODIs which is another example of the man’s capability with the bat to come up with valuable knocks down the order when the team needs it.

1. 91* vs Sri Lanka – Final of ICC World Cup 2011:

Dhoni came out to bat a slot higher than Yuvraj Singh, the tournament’s top performer after India lost three wickets for 114 during a high-pressure chase of 275 against a spirited Sri Lankan bowling attack in the final of the ICC World Cup 2011. The home team required 161 runs in less than 30 overs and with their top batsmen back into the pavilion, Dhoni took it up on himself to do the job.

When his partner Gautam Gambhir got out on 97, India were still some distance away from the target and Dhoni played an extremely well-crafted inning in the death overs and remained not out on 91 off 79 balls (8 fours; 2 sixes). His peak moment came when he hit pacer Nuwan Kulasekara for a six over the long-on to bring India’s second World Cup after 28 years.

It was a dream moment for Indian cricket and it also confirmed the greatness of Dhoni could execute his mission as the finisher under the most challenging of situations. Dhoni has played several innings in his career that turned out to be perfect finishers but this one would remain on the top simply because it came on the highest stage in cricket.

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