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Gautham Gambhir played very well, but MS Dhoni is unique. He wasn’t Lord Megachief of Gold for no reason.
People talk about big match players all the time, but they often mislabel matches as being big when they’re no such thing. Genuine big matches are rare and genuine big match players are even harder to find.
The World Cup final is a big match. MS Dhoni is a big match player.
Big match players perform better when more people are watching and being as most players’ performances deteriorate, they actually stand out even more as a consequence.
A World Cup final in India, featuring India, provides a ten billion megawatt spotlight and that is then focused through a giant lens on the Indian captain.
No-one has ever been in Dhoni’s position. Surviving that incinerating beam is a miracle. Thriving in it is what makes Dhoni unique.
You really should facebook this stuff. You know, like buttons and all..
Isn’t that what the ‘share’ thing in the bottom-right of the post does?
We’re not on Facebook, so we genuinely don’t know.
But if I do that it comes out as “Pavan shared http://www.kingcricket.co.uk/...”
Need credit where it is due don’t we 🙂
People have had a go at him for not being a tactical mastermind.
BUT this was proper leadership. Your team in trouble (2 top batsman gone, big chase) and you ignore your poor recent form to take responsibility and move yourself up the order. A bold decision that was well-rewarded.
Good end to a decent tournament.
He’s the dude. I can’t imagine how he could be more popular in India but I’m sure he’s just managed it.
In 2 World Cup finals, Sachin Tendulkar has scored 22 runs.
In 2 World Cup finals (one of them T20) MS Dhoni has scored 97.
In 2 World Cup finals (one of them T20) Gautham Gambhir has scored 172.
Not entirely sure of the point I was going to make, but I looked the stats up so I felt I needed to share.
Oh, that was it. Tendulkar is a bottler.
In the 6 world cups Sachin has played, he topped the batting charts twice, was second once, was third once, was freaking 18 years old another time. Scored 50+ in every other innings, dragged the lazy ass Indian line up to the 2003 world cup finals, to the 1996 semi finals and the one match he missed when his father passed away cost India (the loss to Zimbabwe) the semi final place in 1999.
Yes he has not stayed back to win it for the team in the world cups finals. But he did what he could to make ordinary teams compete against the rather good ones of their day. The current team does not rely on Tendulkar as much, hence the victory unlike older teams.
In addition to Pavan’s comments, the Great Man has four 50+ scores in WC knock-outs (including 53 vs Aus and 85 vs Pak in this WC) and a career average of ~54 in tournament finals.
And also has 3 MoM performances against Pakistan over 5 WC meetings (India have won all 5 matches)… for an Indian or Pakistani cricketer, that’s the biggest trial by fire. (In case someone is still unaware of that fact!)
What I like about Dhoni is that he likes to bat in a cap, or no headwear at all.
Well said. It was a tremendous display.
He’s got balls. Great huge swinging balls.
I think the crucial difference in the final was between Sangakkara’s friendly face and Dhoni’s businesslike face. In the end, the more determined face won out.
What’s missing in all this is the following headline you are bound to see tomorrow.
In the science blogs.
“Lone South Africans refuses to choke, rips a hole in space-time continuum”.
No brownie points for figuring out I am referring to Gary K.
think Gambhir’s innings was vital.
Zaheer Khan won it.
It was always likely the Indian batting order could chase down a good score. Only two out of 7 very good batsmen needed to stand up. The only thing they needed was for Sri Lanka not to get a huge score.
Zaheer bowled a phenomenal opening spell that gave Tharanga no room, playing to his technical weaknesses, and kept Dilshan in his shell. When his spell (of 5-3-1-6) ended the chance of a 300+ score was gone. Despite a wonderful innings from Mahela the most they could possibly get was a good score. So India were always likely to win.
Why didn’t Murali bowl at the end?
He was half broken, and shouldn’t have played in the first place.
team effort+captain’s knock=gold!:)
Dhoni doesn’t burn out after playing 5 test matches either unlike some teams.
We love Dhoni, but that’s complete bollocks, Sandeep.
(1) Dhoni has never played five Tests and never will play five Tests.
(2) He himself says that players will be picking and choosing tours before too long http://www.kingcricket.co.uk/mahendra-singh-dhoni-is-skipping-the-match-that-youve-waited-all-year-to-go-and-see/2008/11/20/
5 tests and 7 0di’s and 2 20/20’s all of which away from home the other side of the world over 3 and a half months!
C’mon Sandeep, that’s an Afridi-esque remark… petty, unwarranted and false.
And our own team might be burnt out by the time we take on England at Lord’s in July… what with the IPL starting in 4 days, followed immediately after by a tour to the WI, followed immediately after by a flight to England.
Let the man-love for Dhoni resume! 🙂
Dhoni hasn’t played a 5 test series because India don’t get to play any 5 match series.
He played 13 tests, 18 ODIs, 5 T20 Internationals, 50 days of IPL and the Champions League in the last year.
Not only did he not burn himself out, he took India to No. 1 in test ranking in that period, 2nd in ODIs, won the IPL, won the Champions League T20.
He said players should pick and choose tours so that the players are fresh and ready when big tournaments come around, players appearing half heartedly in a world cup was surely not in his thoughts.
Kumar Indian test team doesn’t depend much on Dhoni so India will be ok for the test at Lords.
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