Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden once said in an interview- ‘Express pace is a big headache for a batsman. The deliveries of Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee, Shane Bond etc. will strike fear even in the opposition dressing room! Spectators flock to stadiums just to see their lightning speed…!’
Lucknow Super Giants’ Mark Wood is one such bowler. A native of England who is scary with speed! Delhi’s batsmen felt the heat of Wood’s flames like a good one!
Wood reached Chennai from Lucknow. There he had to face an old lion – Mahendra Singh Dhoni!
Wood bowled a total of three balls against Dhoni. Both of them hit the gallery without touching the ground! Well-directed, Wood’s bouncer was the epitome of guts as the MSD pulled without a cue!
Wood is at the peak of his career.
Even the younger players are knocking before him. But 42-year-old Dhoni beats Wood! How does this happen! There is one thing that India’s legend VVS Laxman always says-
“Cricketers who want to perform well should play professional matches regularly. You can practice as much as you want on nets. But that’s no substitute for playing the game…!’
By that logic, Dhoni should fail in this IPL. It has been years since he quit international cricket. Even domestic matches are not played. It was doubtful whether Dhoni would play due to his knee injury. Age has dulled Dhoni’s reflexes. Hand-eye coordination is also reduced.
But in both the batting games, Dhoni finished consecutively! How is this happening!?
We can use words like presence of mind, talent and luck. But the man named Dhoni has something bigger than this. Opponents have yet to figure out what it is. No one is going to understand it anymore. This man is a special breed!
Dhoni’s detractors will argue that this push is about a batsman who has scored just 26 runs in two games. I don’t know what a batsman who is batting in the last overs and faced only 10 balls will say if a counter question is asked how many runs to score!
You can make fun of Dhoni all you want. But you cannot deny or deny the legacy he leaves behind.
Even if he plays IPL at the age of 50, Dhoni will be the captain of the team. His team will be rated as favorites to lift the IPL title. There is no use in holding grudges. There is no substitute!
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