ICC World Cup 2019: Sanjay Manjrekar explains how Team India should use MS Dhoni the batter

The Indian team is preparing for its last international match before the ICC World Cup 2019, which will be played against Australia in Delhi on March 13. The World Cup is just over a month and a half away and the Indian team is still looking out for answers in its team combination and a solution for a batsman at the no.4 spot.

They tried many players on this spot and it looked like the team had found one in Ambati Rayudu, who did well against the Windies, and against New Zealand recently. But after his failure in the ongoing Australia series, things are back to square one. One answer for this conundrum can be the elevation of MS Dhoni to his spot.

Dhoni currently bats at no.5 providing stability to the middle order. But his problems against spin have made it difficult for him to rotate strike and Sanjay Manjrekar has come up with a viable answer on how to better use Dhoni, the batsman.

Manjrekar feels Dhoni can be utilized better

Many current and former cricketers feel that Dhoni’s spot in the Indian playing XI is unchallenged given his prowess behind the stumps with the gloves and the help he renders to the spinners in the team, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. Also, his calls on DRS reviews are so correct that people call it the ‘Dhoni Review System’.

Manjrekar feels the best way to use the veteran as a batsman in the Indian team will be to use him as a floater and make him bat wherever it’s necessary.

“Juggle his batting position based on the situation. Dhoni’s hitting form is very crucial if India wants to go all the way in the World Cup. His place in the side is unchallenged. He doesn’t get out easily and there is no question about his wicketkeeping skills. He has played a pivotal role in the rise of two wrist spinners (Yadav and Chahal). India needs Dhoni’s calmness in the World Cup,” the former Indian cricketer was quoted as saying by TOI.

MSD played a brilliant knock of 59* in the first ODI, adding 141-runs with Kedar Jadhav to help India chase down a stiff total, as India lost four early wickets. He has bounced back from a horror year in ODIs in 2018, with a Man of the Series award in the first bilateral series win in Australia. He will next lead CSK in the IPL 2019.

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