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Words can't describe my innings: Dhoni
Mahender Singh Dhoni failed to describe the effort in words, saying it was a "privilege" to play the innings.
After smashing a world record 183 not out in the third one-day international against Sri Lanka here on Monday, Mahender Singh Dhoni failed to describe the effort in words, saying it was a "privilege" to play the innings.
"It was a privilege to play an innings like that. Words can't describe it," Dhoni told reporters after his match-winning innings at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium.
It was the highest ever score by a wicketkeeper. Jharkhand's Dhoni bettered the world record of Australia's Adam Gilchrist, who had scored 172 against Zimbabwe at Hobart 2003-04.
Dhoni faced 145 balls and cracked 10 sixes and 16 boundaries to single-handedly guide India to a six-wicket win that gave the home side a crucial 3-0 lead in the seven-match series.
Sri Lanka 298 for four wickets in 50 overs and India overhauled the total with 3.5 overs to spare, finishing at 303 for four wickets in 46.1 overs.
"My aim was to stay there till the end and hit the winning runs," said Dhoni, who scored his second century in his 22nd match.
Barring Muttiah Muralitharan, Dhoni played with disdain the other five bowlers used by captain Marvan Atapattu.
Asked why he slowed down against the off-spinner, Dhoni said that captain Rahul Dravid had advised him to rotate the strike by taking singles off Muralitharan.
Dravid himself was enamoured by Dhoni's knock that came about after he was promoted to No. 3.
"It was a privilege to see such a great innings, especially while chasing," he said, and disclosed that it was decided on Sunday that Dhoni would bat at that position.
"It's one of the greatest innings that I have seen, very close to what Sachin Tendulkar played against Australia at Sharjah in 1998-98," the captain said.
Tendulkar had scored back-to-back centuries in that tournament that India won.
Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kumara Sangakkara, who scored an unbeaten 138, and coach Tom Moody also lauded Dhoni's knock.
"Once in a while you can play an innings like that. I am not sure if Dhoni will ever play such an innings again," said Sangakkara.
"We witnessed an extraordinary innings today. You can't do much if somebody plays an innings like that, but we gained lots of positives from the match," said Moody.
