Ranking all the knocks of Dhoni in 2019 World Cup
What's the story
In all likelihood, former Indian skipper MS Dhoni is playing his final ICC World Cup. This term, his batting has received criticism owing to him not showing intent against Afghanistan and England. While he still remains an integral part of the team, we take a look and rank his batting performance in each of the matches till now.
South Africa
An average run against South Africa
With 89 needed, Dhoni came out to bat at number five in the 32nd over, while India were 139/3. Facing 46 deliveries, Dhoni could manage 34, including just a couple of boundaries, along with 18 singles and 21 dot balls. With a dot percentage of 45.65, it reflected that these days Dhoni takes time to settle. Overall, it was a good knock. Verdict: 6/10
Australia
A strong cameo against Australia
The next game against Australia saw a decent performance by Dhoni. Batting first and with 25 balls to go, India were at 301/3, eyeing somewhere around 350. Dhoni managed to face 14 deliveries and smashed 27 at a strike rate of 192.86, including three fours and a six. While he got out in the final over, India managed to reach 352/5. Verdict: 8/10
Pakistan
A failure against arch-rivals
Following a washout against New Zealand came the biggest test against arch-rivals Pakistan. Coming to bat in 44th over, with India at 285/3, Dhoni was expected to finish the innings. However, scoring a run off just two balls, he fell to an in-form Mohammad Amir. As India finished at 336/5, Dhoni could not create an impact in this match. Verdict: 1/10
Afghanistan
A slow innings against minnows
Dhoni came to bat in the 27th over against minnows Afghanistan, with India at 122/3. Men in Blue were aiming around 250+. Dhoni, who clearly struggled against spin, took way too long to score and managed a 52-ball 28-run innings, with a dot percentage of 61.54. India could manage 224/8. While they won the tie by 11 runs, Dhoni clearly disappointed. Verdict: 3/10
Windies
A fighting half-century against Windies
A half-century is a decent contribution, especially for a middle-order batsman. Coming to bat in the 29th over, with India at 140/4, Dhoni took his time and scored a 61-ball 56*. As he remained unbeaten, India scored 268/7. While the Indian bowlers outplayed Windies, Dhoni's knock received mixed reception. Our view is he played as per the conditions. Verdict: 7/10
England
Lack of intent against England
Coming to bat in the 40th over against England, India were 226/4 and needed 112 from 65. While he remained unbeaten until the end, he, along with Kedar Jadhav, didn't display an intent to accelerate and chase down the total. Scoring 42 off 31 at a strike-rate of 135.48, it could be said that he was outfoxed by English bowlers. Verdict: 5/10
Bangladesh
A lackluster performance against Bangladesh
With India dominating the show against Bangladesh, they were certain of scoring 330+. However, Dhoni's innings halted their progress, as he scored 35 off 33. Notably, at the death, he was not able to rotate the strike well, while Rishabh Pant seemed to be in a good form. He should have scored a half-century at least. Verdict: 4/10