**Official Comm Bank Series - Aus, Ind & SL ODI's***

[Cevno]

Backing himself? Na, given there were 4 wickets in hand, leaving it to the last over is just plain stupidity. It's not like he is just batting in isolation either. The pressure and tension he needlessly created on the rest of the team was palpable.

Yeah, Raina and Jadeja's dismissal's were down to him raising the required rate to some extent.

 

[ankitj]

Weird knock by Dhoni despite the win. But happy that he maintained the record of rarely losing match while staying unbeaten. Dhoni should certainly bat at 5 given he likes to take his time before opening up.

 

[Spark]

It means you have handled the pressure well in that situation and deserve a win. Didn't happen, so...

Wouldn't have been better to make it completely irrelevant what the bowler does by winning with one or two overs plus to spare instead?

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah, Raina and Jadeja's dismissal's were down to him raising the required rate to some extent.

Well Jadeja's certainly was. Raina just played over the top of one though; I reckon he would've got out like that anyway.

 

[benchmark00]

You know I barely posted in Melbourne since I went to all 4 days firstly.

But secondly, I never said Australia were looking line winning, I said normally I back us but I have a feeling Australia will somehow win in this instance.

I know we were favourites, and **** the whole match I was saying India was great value with the bookies!

"I have a feeling Australia will win this" is pretty similar to "Australia will win this" tbf...

 

[Shri]

It was a poor knock by Dhoni. He wasted the entire powerplay and played way too many dots. but at the end of the day what matters is that he got us home regardless of whether it was by 2 overs or 2 deliveries to spare.

And if the last over is filled with pinpoint yorkers and slow unhittable bouncers instead? Then what?

Leaves far too much to chance.

In the end though, we played **** cricket with the exception of Forrest, Dussey and Doherty at the death. So the result is fair, but it should never, ever have gotten so close.

Chalk me up in the "not a good knock from Dhoni" ftr.

Ashwin goes out first ball of the last over and it's a different ball game.

Also don't forget Dhoni should have been run out.

So bloody irritating McKay choked that last over. The reaction would have been hilarious if Dhoni had succeeded in losing the game. Instead McKay managed to lose it. A horrible innings and now we have to wade through all this hero bollocks from the numpties. A perfectly timed innings from that situation would have won the game with an over to spare at least, India didn't lose wickets and were effectively ahead of the rate. It's only if you end up 8-9 down do you cut it finer because there's a large risk of being bowled out. When you've wickets in hand it's a waste to fall short, particularly given India's position of strength.

Exactly - he kept it close!

When he came in India were miiiiiiiles in front. It should never have gotten close.

Backing himself? Na, given there were 4 wickets in hand, leaving it to the last over is just plain stupidity. It's not like he is just batting in isolation either. The pressure and tension he needlessly created on the rest of the team was palpable.

Yep, and if Dhoni just plays a normal, competent ODI innings they win with time to spare. He batted like he did and relied on receiving a couple of pies in the last 3/4 balls to arse his side over the line. Definitely the way to go about it

Awta.

He has done it time and again in the past, but those were much better paced innings. Today luck played a major part in his favor or he had lost it with the pacing of the innings.

MANOF THE MATCH - MATCH54 - IPL 2010 - KXIP v CSK - YouTube

16 off the last over to win a match and put his team in the semis.

Not the first time he has done it. Can always count on him to come out on top with the bat when the pressure is on.

 

[Ruckus]

Now the headline on cricinfo stands as "Ice-cool Dhoni downs Australia". What a man.

 

[Prince EWS]

Can always count on him to come out on top with the bat when the pressure is on.

Cricket doesn't work like that.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Exactly - he kept it close!

When he came in India were miiiiiiiles in front. It should never have gotten close.

I'm not saying it was a perfect innings, but it still won his team the match. Maybe I'm just arguing semantics......

Came in..178/4 (92 needed off 95) Advantage India
After 48...253/5 (17 needed off 12) Advantage India

Yeah he kept it close.
Yeah he could have taken more risks.

But he could have also gotten out.
But India could have also lost.

92 needed off 95 --------> 17 needed off 12
Up till there that looks like good pacing to me. Jadeja ****ed up in the 49th and it got close, but that's hardly on Dhoni. It looked like Dhoni wanted Jadeja to be going for it a lot early too, but he didn't.

 

[benchmark00]

a slight downgrade. 50 average in odi's is ballistic, and it's natural for him to be not out considering his role - but if the average is noted, so should the red ink.

Refer to my stats thread for my thoughts on bringing up average in a discussion about a player

 

[Ruckus]

Wouldn't have been better to make it completely irrelevant what the bowler does by winning with one or two overs plus to spare instead?

I can't believe there is even a debate on this...

 

[thierry henry]

I'm not saying it was a perfect innings, but it still won his team the match. Maybe I'm just arguing semantics......

Came in..178/4 (92 needed off 95) Advantage India
After 48...253/5 (17 needed off 12) Advantage India

Yeah he kept it close.
Yeah he could have taken more risks.

But he could have also gotten out.
But India could have also lost.

92 needed off 95 --------> 17 needed off 12
Up till there that looks like good pacing to me. Jadeja ****ed up in the 49th and it got close, but that's hardly on Dhoni. It looked like Dhoni wanted Jadeja to be going for it a lot early too, but he didn't.

Good pacing in that situation would be 5 or 6 off 12, if not game over.

 

[Spark]

I can't believe there is even a debate on this...

Indeed. As Cevno has pointed out, this is not actually how Dhoni usually plays. A slow start is fine but he does generally accelerate once set.

I mean, have a look at the WC final knock for an example. That is a beautiful example of a paced ODI innings.

 

[uvelocity]

Refer to my stats thread for my thoughts on bringing up average in a discussion about a player

 

[thierry henry]

ffs Dhoni was on 33 off 55 in the last over. He scores 45 off 55 and the game is already over. He clearly didn't bat very well.

 

[Shri]

I can't believe there is even a debate on this...

Yeah him getting out early trying to go for his shots is clearly better than getting us as close to the target as possible before hitting out.

 

[benchmark00]

Nah Dhoni did it well.

He knew he had to be the man. He took the minimum amount of risks (that run out aside) to ensure he was there at the end. When you have wickets in hand, you can score pretty much anything in the last few overs. He knew that and preserved his wicket, and did what he needed to do.

It's like in footy when you take a mark 40 out on an angle and turn around and walk back without looking for options. You back yourself to kick it, and you know you have to convert because you've possibly burnt Jason Dunstall who was charging out from the goal square, leading with his chest etc etc

 

[Cevno]

MANOF THE MATCH - MATCH54 - IPL 2010 - KXIP v CSK - YouTube

16 off the last over to win a match and put his team in the semis.

Not the first time he has done it. Can always count on him to come out on top with the bat when the pressure is on.

That was a pretty well paced innings and the match justifiably went to the last over.

Look no one is disputing that he can't win games in the last over or under pressure.But the fact is that this game shouldn't have gone to the stage where there was so much pressure and a need to make 13 off the last over, in the first place.

And he was the one mainly responsible for it to get to that stage, considering the position in which he came in.

 

[thierry henry]

Indeed. As Cevno has pointed out, this is not actually how Dhoni usually plays. A slow start is fine but he does generally accelerate once set.

I mean, have a look at the WC final knock for an example. That is a beautiful example of a paced ODI innings.

ffs exactly. How can people not see the difference between that and 12 off 4 ffs

 

[Shri]

Yeah him getting out early trying to go for his shots is clearly better than getting us as close to the target as possible before hitting out.

That was a pretty well paced innings and the match justifiably went to the last over.

Look no one is disputing that he can't win games in the last over or under pressure.But the fact is that this game shouldn't have gone to the stage where there was so much pressure and a need to make 13 off the last over, in the first place.

And he was the one mainly responsible for it to get to that stage, considering the position in which he came in.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^