The Hindu : Sport : A giant leap by Dhoni

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 06, 2005

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Sport

A giant leap by Dhoni

Bob Woolmer, the meticulous coach that he is, must have spent a lot of time in the last two days working out ways and means to put the skids on the Indian batsmen. Sehwag and Dravid would probably have consumed most of his time given their current form but Ganguly's move to promote Dhoni and the latter's roaring success must have frustrated the Pakistani coach.

Dhoni, an unknown quantity until Tuesday morning, made a giant leap in style in Vizag much to the delight of the Indians and the chagrin of the Pakistanis. Dhoni was promoted to hustle up the proceedings and that too when Sehwag was at the crease! The wicket keeper played his part in earnest as he looked to play shots right from the time he took guard.

It might be easier for an experienced campaigner like Dravid not to get infected by Sehwag's pyrotechnics but for a greenhorn like Dhoni sent in with specific instructions, the setting was perfect.

Sehwag got stuck into the Pakistani bowlers well and truly and a couple of shots in particular were enough to destroy the psyche of even the best of bowlers. An expansive cover drive which landed in the stands was enough to make Sami lose his plot. As though that was not enough, Sehwag welcomed Razzaq with a scorching drive down the ground.

That particular blow spurred Dhoni to join the party that signalled the onset of serious problems for Inzamam. In fact, Inzamam had to bring Afridi on while the fielding restrictions were still in force. This move made Sehwag go berserk and he smashed the leg spinner in different directions with authority bordering on contempt.

Keeping up

Dhoni kept up with Sehwag as far as the aggressive intent was concerned and when Sehwag departed from the scene, he took over the mantle. He may not make the purists sit up and notice but his technique was effective enough. The young wicket keeper got better as he grew in confidence and he had the ideal partner in Dravid.

Once Dhoni got to his century, he just threw his bat at everything and sent the ball sailing to the boundary at will. His innings was not only refreshing but the salient feature of his effort was his selflessness.

Moreover, it was a welcome change to see someone other than Sehwag and Dravid getting runs for the team. Dravid got to his half century at a fair clip without seeming to be in a hurry as a man only in real good form can.

The Pakistanis needed an extremely explosive start and Afridi was the best option to provide it. But his ludicrous shot off the very second ball he faced must have shocked even the most unconventional thinkers. Razzaq was promoted to garner quick runs and he displayed his competency with the bat. However, Razzaq has not endeared himself to Inzamam by not responding to the captain's call.

Setback

The run out of Inzamam was a setback the Pakistanis could not recover from and though Youhana played a valiant knock, the writing was on the wall. In fairness, chasing a target with the required rate above seven all through the innings is not an easy task under any circumstances.

The Indians have succeeded at Kochi and Vizag by defending well, but the administrators have to provide better pitches. It is alright to see a lot of runs scored in a day but the plight of the bowlers has to be considered too. The conditions are humid and sapping and on top of all that, they have to contend with surfaces that are too batsmen friendly. With the laws restricting the bowlers' options in some ways in the one-day format, one wonders where the bowlers will find some respite.

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