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Cavaliar Dhoni makes his presence felt
When Mahendra Dhoni went out to bat against Pakistan in the second One-Day International he knew he had everything to lose.
When Mahendra Dhoni went out to bat against Pakistan in the second One-Day International he knew he had everything to lose.
Having scored just 22 runs in four innings at an average of 7.33, the big-hitting wicketkeeper could easily have been overlooked by the Indian selectors for the next match.
But the 23-year-old cracked an explosive 148 on Tuesday, including 16 fours and four big sixes, helping India to their highest-ever total against Pakistan and a 58-run victory.
In the process, he may have helped India find the missing piece of the jigsaw that the one-day side has been long searching for.
"I knew it was an important game for me," Dhoni said.
"I had played four matches and not even scored 15, let alone a 50. There were a lot of expectations from me and I needed to deliver."
Vice captain Rahul Dravid reluctantly kept wicket for almost two years, including at the 2003 World Cup, in the absence of a genuine all rounder or wicketkeeper who could bat.
It is too early to jump to conclusions, but Dhoni's emergence comes as a relief to the team management.
"We've been looking for a wicketkeeper who can bat for a long time," Indian coach John Wright told Reuters on Wednesday.
