After suffering the home ODI series defeat against India, the Australian head coach Justin Langer praised the Player of the Series award winner MS Dhoni by mentioning him as the superstar of the game.
Playing three innings in the three-match ODI series, Dhoni finished as the second leading run-scorer by scoring 193 runs with the average of 193.00. The 37-year-old right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman Dhoni started the ODI series with the knock of 51 off 96 balls during the first ODI at Sydney. After then, he played two match-winning unbeaten knocks of 55* (54 balls) and 87* (114 balls) at Adelaide and Melbourne respectively as India won the series by 2-1.
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Earlier of that series, Dhoni was under pressure for his poor ODI batting form in last year where he had the average of 25.00 without scoring an ODI half-century.
In the post-match press conference, Australian head coach Justin Langer praised Dhoni by saying, “He (Dhoni) is 37 years old. His running between the wickets is elite, and his fitness is elite. For him to run between the wickets for three days in a row, it was 40 degrees the other day, and play like that, he is a superstar of the game and that’s what Australians should be aspiring to be — superstars of the game.
“MS Dhoni, like Virat Kohli, like Cheteshwar Pujara in the Test series, they give us really great role models. MS Dhoni, his record, everything speaks for itself as a captain, batsman, wicketkeeper. He is literally an all-time great of the game and it has been, as hard as it is to lose, a privilege to play against those guys.”
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In the Melbourne ODI, the hosts had multiple chances to dismiss Dhoni but failed to take those opportunities. At the very beginning, when Dhoni didn’t open his account, Glenn Maxwell dropped an easy chance. Later, Dhoni was survived from a run-out and from another catching opportunity.
Pointing out those crucial mistakes, Langer said that it was the good experience for the young Australian cricket team who should learn from Dhoni.
Langer added, “You drop MS Dhoni a couple of times and you don’t win. You don’t give great players chances. We did that tonight. We get down the 49th over and MS is there again. It was a great lesson for our squad. We talk about match winners, getting the job done — he showed us again. It is a great tutorial for our batters.
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“If MS Dhoni can come out and run between wickets like that after keeping wickets for 50 overs, that is the level the whole world should be aspiring to. I would be amazed if they (Australian players) don’t learn from playing against those guys. For a young squad, there is no better lesson and learning to rub shoulders with great players. I’m glad we have had the experience.”
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Despite losing both the Test and ODI series in the home against India, Langer has pointed out their positive sides as he has felt that it was not the one-sided series, rather than they just failed to take their opportunities.
Langer said, “It has not been a one-sided series. India have been too good for us all summer, in Tests and in ODIs. But it has been a close one. The boys have fought hard and we have had some real positives. Jhye Richardson has been a shining light. Peter Handscomb has done a good job in the middle overs and Shaun Marsh has been in great nick. We had our chances and we just didn’t take them.
“India are a great side. We should take some great confidence with the way we played against them. If we had taken our chances in Adelaide, this series could have been different. There is light at the end of the tunnel for this team. We can look at the wins and losses, but they will come good.”
