Sri Lanka ko Dhoni ne dho dala. Not too long ago there used to be a shampoo TV ad that used the words, “dho dala” to signify success in getting rid of dandruff. The long maned Mahendra Singh Dhoni would make an apt model for the shampoo as well as for toothpastes for the smile that he has, as also for the smiles that he brought on the faces of the Indian cricket lovers. Seldom has one seen such controlled hitting as was seen from his blade. Not only did he hit a record number of sixes for an Indian in limited-overs cricket but he also smashed the record for the highest score by a wicketkeeper, the previous holder being none other than Adam Gilchrist. Indeed it was a day for the wicketkeepers with Sri Lanka scoring 298, thanks to a well-crafted century by Kumar Sangakkara. He has been the man in-form and he knew that with the other Sri Lankan batsmen yet to hit their straps it was important for him to stay at the crease for as long as possible.
In the event he batted till the end to make sure that Sri Lanka put up a stiff target for the Indians to chase.
He had help from his good friend Mahela Jayawardene, who too found his touch and their 151 run partnership gave the Sri Lankan total some muscle. The Sri Lankans would be worried about the lack of form of Jayasuriya and Atapattu, the captain, both of whom are not quite getting the ball in the middle of the bat. Sangakkara then gave his team more joy by taking a superb diving catch to get rid of Sachin Tendulkar. The joy was short-lived though as Mahendra Singh Dhoni came in and played a one of a kind innings to take the game away from the Lankans. Even Sehwag who scored at a run a ball had to watch with admiration from the other end as the wicketkeeper launched into the Lankans with a gusto seldom seen in India. The strongly built lad has loads of confidence as can be seen by the way he strides out to bat. In all the years of watching cricket the only other player who strode to the crease with greater swagger is the incomparable Viv Richards. Like the West Indian great, Dhoni has nothing but contempt for the bowlers and that shows in the way he wants to dominate and show who is the boss from the outset. This approach will sometimes see him get dismissed soon but as he plays more cricket he will get the experience to temper his batting and so will be a lot more consistent without losing his scoring rate. His keeping too has improved and the sooner he can be brought into the Test side the better for Indian cricket, for it will allow the team to have the option of going in with an extra bowler.
Dravid’s move to send him at No. 3 was a masterstroke and what was impressive too was the cool that the captain showed even as Sangakkara and Jayawardene were taking the Indian attack apart. Agarkar got two good wickets by not trying to do too much but just concentrating on a good line and not varying his length too much. The Indian fielding was good and did not wilt under pressure. Though the pitch did not have the grass that was expected, it was a near perfect one-day wicket and with the outfield being quick the crowd got to see some splendid batting by both teams and the Rajasthan Cricket Association needs to be complimented for producing such a pitch that gave the crowds the chance to see some fine batting and big hits. That’s what one-day cricket is about.
