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Virender Sehwag reveals how MS Dhoni transforms from big-hitter to finisher
By SMCS - Nov 26, 2021 2:50 pm
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Former India player Virender Sehwag has said that being scolded by Rahul Dravid for playing a bad shot had changed MS Dhoni’s batting approach. As per Sehwag, Dhoni transformed from big-hitter to finisher under Dravid’s captaincy during 2006-07 as well.

Dhoni made headlines with a swashbuckling 148 off 123 against Pakistan in an ODI in Visakhapatnam in April 2005. In the same year, he smashed an unbeaten 183 against Sri Lanka in Jaipur as India chased down a target of 299 easily. Within a couple of years, Dhoni made a name for himself and eventually he became the best finisher in world cricket too.

Explaining the same, Sehwag revealed: “He was given the finisher’s role under Dravid, who once scolded him for getting out after playing a bad shot. I think that incident changed him. So around 2006-07, he transformed and started taking responsibility of finishing matches. He (Dhoni) formed an unbelievable partnership with Yuvraj when we registered that record of 16 successive chases.”

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Sehwag also recalled that he was also scolded by Sachin Tendulkar and Javagal Srinath in South Africa for the same reason, which saw a change in his batting approach as well. However, MS Dhoni did not have a great start to his international career as he used to bat lower down the order and couldn’t leave his mark.

And, former India captain Sourav Ganguly’s decision to promote him to No. 3 during a one-dayer in 2005 gave him a platform to showcase his talent and skill as well as he grabbed the opportunity well.

sourav ganguly
Sourav Ganguly

Praising Sourav Ganguly’s leadership, Virender Sehwag commented: “Those days (2005) we were experimenting with pinch-hitters. Dada (Ganguly) had planned that Dhoni would get 3-4 chances at No. 3. If it works then fine, otherwise they would try someone else. Very few captains do it. He first sacrificed his (opening) spot for me and then he gave his slot to Dhoni. If Dada had not done that, Dhoni might not have become such a big player.”

However, MS Dhoni went on to lead the Indian team with example and he was the captain when Ganguly played his last Test against Australia in Nagpur in 2008 as well. Sehwag, even recalled that many were not convinced of Dhoni’s talent at that time.

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Sehwag told India TV: “I remember playing against MS Dhoni in an India vs India A encounter. Dhoni was playing for India A and got out playing a pull shot. This was before his international debut and we were playing a practice match ahead of a Test series. After he got out, a lot of seniors said he is a compulsive hooker and might not succeed in international cricket. But I was the only one who opined that we too were not very good when he started but improved as we played more and more. I felt he could definitely get better if chances were given to him.”

“In the 1999 Duleep Trophy final between North and West Zone, I was also dismissed to a short-pitched delivery from Paras Mhambrey. At that time as well, people said “he cannot play short-pitched deliveries, then how can he survive in international cricket”. But I overcame the hurdles and earned the respect of the cricketing world. I could see my story being repeated in MS Dhoni’s case. That’s why I backed him,” Virender Sehwag concluded.