Former Indian World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni once again played the match-winning knock during the series-deciding third and final ODI of the series against the hosts Australia at Melbourne on Friday (18 January). After finishing that game, Dhoni made a funny banter with the Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar and everybody laughed at it.
The last calendar year was a rare disappointing year with the bat for the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni who failed to play any half-century knock in ODI and had the only average of 25.00 in 2018 ODIs. However, he has superbly returned to the form at the very beginning of the New Year as he has hit three half-centuries in the first three ODIs of the year.
Also watch: Australia Gave A Lifeline To MS Dhoni In Melbourne
In the Melbourne ODI, Dhoni guided the visiting side for the remarkable victory as India won their first ever bilateral ODI series in Australia after winning this three-match ODI series by 2-1. Chasing down the 231 runs target to win the Melbourne ODI, Dhoni was promoted at no.4 where he played a magnificent knock of unbeaten 87 runs off 114 balls to secure the game for the nation who won by seven wickets with four balls to spare.
Also watch: MS Dhoni And Kedar Jadhav Seals The Series For India
After finishing that game, during the handshaking moment, Dhoni gave a ball to the batting coach Sanjay Bangar and told him “Ball uthaya to bolenge retirement ke liye uthaya hai toh le lo.”
See #Dhoni when gave ball to the coach and said " Ball lelo nahi to bolega retirement lerahe ho" 😂
even even #Dhoni wants to play more. #AUSvIND #INDvAUS #Chahal #Jadhav #WhistlePodu@ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/B5dMVQEzhR— Lakshay Rohilla 🧢🇮🇳 (@lakshayrohilla3) January 18, 2019
Also watch: MCG Crowds Gave MS Dhoni A Standing Ovation
In the last year, at the end of the third and final ODI of the series in England, a retirement rumour had been spread on Dhoni’s international career after he took a match ball from the on-field umpires. Later, Dhoni clarified that he took that ball to observe how to get reverse swing in England while they had to prepare for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, which is going to be held in England and Wales from 30 May.
Also read: Virat Kohli: No One More Committed To Indian Cricket Than Dhoni
Coming to the Australia ODI series, while India won the series, Dhoni won the Player of the Series award after scoring 193 runs in three innings with the average of 193.00. The 37-year-old right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman 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.
